FOUR MORE PLACES TO EXPLORE

1 Smallhythe Place KENT

Where a creative ménage à trois resided

This 16th-century farmhouse was home to Edy Craig – daughter of Victorian actor Ellen Terry – and her female partner Chris St John. From 1916, the relationship expanded to include artist Tony (Clare) Atwood, and at Smallhythe the three of them created a lively and pioneering place for women and the arts. On her mother’s death, Edy converted the barn into a theatre, which still exists. nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place

2 Shibden Hall HALIFAX Home of ‘the first modern lesbian’

In the 19th century, Shibden Hall was home to entrepreneur and landowner Anne Lister – a woman often described as the first modern lesbian. Lister wrote about her many sexual affairs in a coded diary, redesigning the house and its surroundings to protect herself and her relationships from prying eyes. museums.calderdale.gov.uk/visit/shibden-hall

3 Walmer Castle KENT Where a scandal ensued

Official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports since the 18th century, Walmer Castle was home to William Lygon, Earl of Beauchamp in the 1920s. A father of numerous children, Beauchamp reportedly held lavish homosexual parties at the castle and was forced into exile abroad to escape arrest. He helped inspire Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. englishheritage.org.uk/visit/places/walmer-castle-and-gardens

4 Apethorpe Palace NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Where a king entertained

This 15th- century house was frequently visited by James VI and I who, in 1614, is said to have met his favourite, George Villiers, later 1st Duke of Buckingham, there. Restoration work at the house undertaken between 2004 and 2008 unearthed a secret passage between the two men’s bedchambers. english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/apethorpe-palace