By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-28 03:20:48 | Updated at 2026-09-28 03:52:13
46 minutes ago
A row has erupted in a Devon market town after a LGBT group wrapped its 1,000-year-old Norman castle inside an enormous rainbow flag.
Totnes Castle, built in the 11th century, has played a prominent role in the town's four-day pride festival this year, holding an event called "Capture the Castle".
On Saturday, roughly 400 people turned out to witness the 150-metre flag being unfurled by 30 LGBT people from the town.
Organisers behind the event insisted it was a “celebration of LGBTQ+ arts, culture and community” in Totnes, saying the spectacle would make this year's Pride celebration a "bit different".
Ceri Goddard, from Totnes Pride, told the BBC that covering the "the iconic castle" with the rainbow flag will show that "queer people have always been here and we always will be".
She added: "There were some logistical challenges but we had a rehearsal and we had the backing of English Heritage who have been amazing, helping us plan."
Ms Goddard described the Devonshire town as "a very diverse community" which is currently "undergoing a culture of renaissance".
She explained: "We are looking for new ideas and new people to get involved so I suspect it will be bigger next year because everybody's heard about it.
On Saturday, roughly 400 people turned out to witness the 150-metre flag being unfurled by 30 LGBT people from the town
TOTNES PRIDE
"Totnes Pride belongs to the people of Totnes, not a small committee in a room, so let's see where it goes next year."
However, the display has sparked anger among some religious groups and within Westminster.
Christian Concern chief executive Andrea Minichiello Williams told The Telegraph: “The castle may have been captured in history, but today it is the town itself that feels captured - not by an army, but by an ideology that has taken hold of its public spaces and its culture, leaving little room for anyone who dares to disagree.”
Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe also slammed the event, insisting: "It is not 'homophobic' to label this as wildly naff and generally vomit-inducing."
Caroline Voaden MP hailed the event for 'sending a clear message of equality and inclusion'
PA
He added: "Sensible gay people despise the woke theatre of it all too, and just want to get on with their lives."
However, Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden issued a staunch defence of the "scale, diversity and quality of the Pride festival Totnes has produced", hailing it for "sending a clear message of equality and inclusion".
Totnes Castle was founded around 1087, just over two decades on from the Norman Conquest, and was built to secure a crossing over the River Dart.
After avoiding damage during the English Civil War, it remains one of the country's best kept examples of a medieval motte-and-bailey defence system.
Totnes Castle was founded around 1087, just over two decades on from the Norman Conquest
GETTY
In 1947, it was transferred from the ownership of the Seymour family to the Ministry of Works, eventually falling into the hands of English Heritage.
A spokesman for Totnes Pride said: “Capture the Castle is the image that will define this year’s festival, but what we’ve built around it is a genuinely ambitious arts and culture programme - over 40 events.
“We’ve worked hard to create a four-day programme that reflects what makes this town special.
"Its love for revelling in live music and dancing. Its deep connection to the land and the River Dart. Its platforming of local artists and wordsmiths. But above all, it’s a place that welcomes people from all walks of life.”
