The Herding Cats Arts Collective is presenting a month-long exhibition titled 'A Woman’s Place' at Castle Drogo, a National Trust property on Dartmoor. The exhibition, running throughout March 2026, features contemporary works that explore the domestic and social structures governing the lives of women connected to the estate during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through research conducted with castle historians, the artists utilize domestic materials and imagery to highlight the often-overlooked histories of both the working-class staff and the upper-class residents of the fortress.
This exhibition is significant for its site-specific interrogation of architectural and social history within a landmark designed by Edwin Lutyens. By contrasting the 'masculine' intent of the castle's design with the reality of it being a predominantly female-occupied space, the show challenges traditional narratives of heritage sites. It serves as a critical examination of how agency, labor, and social expectations shaped feminine identity in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, bringing contemporary artistic voices to historical archival research.