Residents have criticised the decision to cover a Norman castle in Devon with a giant rainbow flag during a Pride festival.
People in Totnes woke on Saturday to find the town’s landmark draped in a 150-metre (492ft) flag, installed as part of a four-day programme of events.
Thirty local flag bearers helped unfurl and raise the enormous display around the historic site.
Organisers described the installation, titled Capture the Castle, as a statement that “queer people have always been here and always will be”.
The spectacle has sparked a heated debate in the town, with some residents claiming it detracts from the castle’s historic importance.
Ian Robinson mocked the display in a Facebook post, pointing to the castle’s 950 years of Norman history, medieval conflict, royal proclamations and Civil War before joking that the monument had apparently reached the point where it needed a 150-metre rainbow flag.
He added sarcastically that centuries of heritage had evidently not been colourful enough, quipping that at least the tea room had survived to see the decline.
A giant rainbow flag was raised around Totnes Castle in Devon to celebrate Pride Festival
Local roofer Russell Blackaller said he supported celebrating culture and people, but questioned the decision to attach the flag to the castle.
Because he works on listed buildings, he said he found the situation particularly controversial.
Blackaller pointed out that owners of Grade II-listed properties can need formal permission simply to put up scaffolding.
By contrast, he said, a Grade I-listed monument had been wrapped in flags for a celebration.
Although he acknowledged that permission may have been granted, Blackaller said he still considered the installation inappropriate.
Courtney Soleil said she did not oppose people having the freedom to live as they wished, but argued that historic landmarks should not always be turned into symbols for the latest cause.
She described Totnes Castle as a 950-year-old Norman monument and part of Britain’s shared heritage, noting that generations had served and died for the Crown and country.
Soleil said it was reasonable for people to want historic sites to reflect the nation’s collective history rather than repeatedly being used to promote a single cause.
Other residents, however, defended the decision and welcomed the giant flag as part of the local Pride celebrations.
The huge display was unfurled and raised by 30 local flagbearers on the Norman castle
Heather Owen said it was troubling to reflect that people seen as different or unconventional would once have faced persecution or even death throughout the castle’s long history. She added that there was much to celebrate in the present day.
Neil Clarke said he hoped for a future in which Pride was no longer necessary.
‘Where two men could hold hands, two women could kiss goodbye in the street, or somebody could simply mention their same-sex partner without ever having to consider whether the people around them might react with hostility.
‘But we don’t quite live in that world yet. And, rather wonderfully, the comments underneath this photograph demonstrate the point far more effectively than the 150 metres of rainbow fabric ever could.
‘Nobody has damaged the castle. Nobody has rewritten its history. Nobody has forced you to attend Pride, wave a flag or change anything about the way you live your own life.
‘For one morning, an ancient building was used as the backdrop to tell part of the local community: you belong here too.’
A spokesman for Totnes Pride told The Telegraph: ‘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 community, in all of its colourful and eclectic glory. 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.’
Totnes Pride has previously come under fire for its use of council funding for art installations.
In 2015, the group caused a row over plans for a permanent rainbow zebra crossing.
It was eventually blocked by Devon County Council, which said it may confuse drivers.
Critics also questioned whether a Union flag would have been allowed to drape the walls of the council.
In 2016, Totnes Council removed a Union flag which was deemed ‘too noisy’ when it was flapping in the wind.
Totnes Castle was first raised soon after the Norman Conquest and sits at the highest point of the hilltop town.
It is considered one of the best preserved examples of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in England