New arts and heritage trail celebrates LGBTQ+ stories in the Staffordshire Moorlands

New arts and heritage trail celebrates LGBTQ+ stories in the Staffordshire Moorlands

• Discover hidden histories on a geocaching adventure across the Staffordshire Moorlands
• Developed by artists in collaboration with arts programme OUTSIDE’s Youth Pride group
• This project is funded by Historic England’s History in the Making grant scheme

Queer Quest, a new arts and heritage trail celebrating LGBTQ+ stories, creativity, and connection to place in the Staffordshire Moorlands, has been launched. Developed by artists Cat McGill and James Fox Neville in collaboration with OUTSIDE’s Youth Pride group and funded by Historic England, the project invites participants to explore the countryside through a series of geocaches – small hidden containers that can be found using the free Geocaching app.

Each cache along the trail contains an original piece of artwork by Emma Dawson Varguhese and a short story inspired by local community voices and queer histories of the region. The trail follows the mythic path of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a medieval tale set in this landscape, reimagined through a contemporary queer lens.

The project grew from creative workshops with LGBTQ+ participants from across the Moorlands, who shared their memories, personal landmarks, and reflections on what it means to live and belong in rural spaces. Their contributions have shaped the final trail, transforming the local geography into a living archive of queer experience.

Queer Quest is funded by Historic England’s History in the Making grant programme. This new grant programme has been launched to encourage young people to engage with and celebrate their local heritage.

Project lead, James Fox Neville, said: “Queer Quest is about celebrating the stories that have always been part of this landscape – even if they’ve gone unheard. It’s a chance to rediscover the countryside as a place where queer people can exist, imagine, and feel connected.”

Finn White, Participation Manager at Historic England, said: “This project is a wonderful example of what’s possible when we put heritage in the hands of young people. It’s brilliant to see how these vital stories are being shared with the local community in such a creative and engaging way.”

The Queer Quest trail is freely available to explore via the Geocaching app, with trail information hosted here.

For anyone interested in joining OUTSIDE’s Youth Pride/Pride in the Moorlands groups, contact pride@outsidearts.org.

About Historic England

We are Historic England, the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services. Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland

Find out more about how the historic environment can help our wellbeing.

About History in the Making grants

Historic England is working with young people (aged 13 to 25) and funding 21 youth-led projects that will create place markers across England. They will mark and celebrate important local histories that have been overlooked and bring them to a broader audience. These co-produced projects put young people’s voices at the heart of the creative decision making to increase confidence and connection to their local heritage.

Find out more about place marking and this scheme here.