A Queer Inheritance: Alternative Histories in the National Trust

by Michael Hall

LGBTQ+ histories and identities come out of the National Trust's properties in these touching, poignant and revealing stories.

National Trust houses and landscapes might seem to embody conventional family values, but for generations some very different stories were hidden away. These belong to owners now considered queer for defying the norms of sexual orientation or gender identity – sometimes blatantly, occasionally as open secrets, but most often very discreetly.

Michael Hall explores not only the best-known examples of sexual difference, such as Lawrence of Arabia at Clouds Hill, Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst and the 'Dancing Marquess' at Plas Newydd; he also covers more recently unveiled stories, such as the lesbian community at Smallhythe and the homosexual scandals associated with Clumber. Then there were the quietly confirmed bachelors, keen to pass their properties and collections to the Trust for posterity...

These stories are set against the queer history of the National Trust itself, such as its foundation in 1895 against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde's trials; hidden queer influences within the Trust in its early days; and the role of homophobia in its reorganisation in the 1960s.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, History, Gay, Queer, Historical

432 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2026

About the author

There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
For the children's author, see Michael Hall. For the author of the Island Pamphlets (Northern Ireland), see Michael Hall.

Reviews

[Todd Denning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read, covers a lot of ground in an engaging and fascinating way.

Would definitely recommend.

[Verity Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great, incredibly interesting and falling into some of these moments in history was actually such an escape. As someone who has wondered round National Trust properties since she was a little girl romanticising the lives of the people that walked the halls before her, those stories being brought to life on the page was brilliant. And for the 26 year old that walks round National Trust houses to this day and points out every veiled reference to homosexuality in the history (the ones that aren’t being so open about their previous owner’s pasts, that is), these histories were also made for me.

Is there somewhat of a tilt towards queer male histories? Yes. But that is acknowledged and also the nature of the beast, more often that not, due to the reporting of queerness in the eras this book, and the National Trust, covers. Though it does a great job in covering the lesbian histories, identities and figures that the National Trust (and its influence, somewhat) is rooted in. I think at times this book tries to do too much, be too broad, though the histories of queerness it provides to contextualise the stories we are introduced to are useful, I feel they made the read dense in parts, though it was all primarily interesting, useful and somewhat necessary information. Again, dense and academic text go hand in hand, sometimes, I suppose and is always to be expected. A little part of me does just wish these histories would be made more accessible to the general patron, as I feel this text wouldn’t be accessible to everyone.

I did get a little lost in places remembering who everyone was in each chapter, but on the flip side I also enjoy that this is something you have to take your time in to really digest it and feel the significance of some of these people. There’s a whole array of fascinating, devastating, funny, camp and heartbreaking histories included, and it makes for truly an enlightening read. I think this is something fab to have on hand for when you plan to visit a property or National Trust site, and I’ll certainly be revisiting chapters when I (re)visit sites. Definitely worth a read.

[Tommy Maker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thos was a very interesting audiobook. It talks about the connections of our National Trust properties to those famous people we have heard of.

Reading Goal and Oscar Wilde for example. Tennyson, and Woolfe. And many more, and quite a f9ew of the National Trust places I have frequented from time to time, when i was a member of them.

It also gives the history of the properties, the alternative being the link to the LGBTQ+ community.

It was a very fascinating listen to, and makes ya realise when we look at a building, do we really know the history or the past of the construction.

[Patrick Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who’s studied or read about the eminent queers of Victorian/Edwardian England will eat this up with a silver spoon. Anyone else will see only Upstairs Downstairs with a twist. The Gilded Age is bottomless pit of gossip. Still, a fun read.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought it from Waterstone’s! Glad I did, as it is an excellent book - well worth a read.

[Rob Lesher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating British gay history as told through the houses of famous LGBTQ+ individuals whose homes ended up in the National Trust.