Discover the hidden and often overlooked Black history of Norwich on a special guided walking tour through the city during Black History Month 2026.
Led by Norwich tour guide Paul Dickson, the walk begins outside The Forum and explores the diverse contribution Black people have made to the history and cultural life of Norwich and Norfolk across several centuries.
The tour introduces visitors to Black people who lived, worked and performed in the city, from street traders during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to musicians, entertainers and members of the armed forces whose presence helped shape Norwich in the twentieth century.
Among the figures explored is Pablo Fanque, widely recognised as Britain’s first Black circus proprietor. Born in Norwich, Fanque became one of the most successful circus performers and proprietors of Victorian Britain, building a remarkable career during the nineteenth century.
The tour also explores the influence of American servicemen who came to the region and helped introduce Norwich audiences to rhythm and blues and soul music.
One of the local stories featured is that of Lucas, a US airman who settled in Norfolk during the 1960s and helped bring soul music to the Orford Cellar, adding an important chapter to the history of Black music and nightlife in Norwich.
Alongside stories of entertainment, music and migration, the walk examines Norwich and Norfolk’s connections with slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Participants will hear about people from the region who were connected with the slave trade as well as those who became involved in the campaign for abolition.
The tour highlights Norfolk abolitionists including Thomas Fowell Buxton, Amelia Opie and Harriet Martineau, exploring their involvement in the wider movement against slavery.
By bringing these stories together, Norwich: A Black History Walking Tour demonstrates that Black history is deeply connected with local history and reveals how Norwich’s streets and buildings hold stories linking the city with Africa, the Caribbean, the United States and the wider Atlantic world.
Taking place during Black History Month 2026, this 105-minute guided walk offers residents and visitors an opportunity to experience familiar parts of Norwich from a different perspective and discover Black stories that have too often remained outside traditional accounts of the city’s past.
The tour starts outside The Forum at 11:00am and finishes at approximately 12:45pm.
More Norwich Listings MORE
A Black History Walking Tour
Discover the hidden and often overlooked Black history of Norwich on a special guided walking tour through the…
Myles Sanko – I See My Light Tour
Internationally acclaimed British soul and jazz artist Myles Sanko comes to Norwich with his I See My Light…
R&B Lovers – 90s & 00s R&B Festival
Norwich turns back the clock to the golden era of contemporary R&B as R&B Lovers returns to Epic…
Norwich: A Black History Walking Tour
Discover the hidden and often overlooked Black history of Norwich on a special guided walking tour through the…