A new arts and heritage trail celebrating LGBTQ+ stories, creativity, and connection to place in the Staffordshire Moorlands has been launched.
Queer Quest 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 Varughese 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.
Queer Quest has been developed by artists Cat McGill and James Fox Neville in collaboration with arts organisation OUTSIDE’s Youth Pride group and funded by Historic England’s History in the Making grant programme.
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.
James, who has led the project, 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, added: “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.
Trail maps are also available from Leek Indoor Market.
