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, described as the UK’s first Black circus impresario. His story provides an insight into the presence of successful Black entertainers in nineteenth-century Britain and forms part of a much wider history of Black people whose lives and achievements are not always included in conventional accounts of the city.
The walk also looks at the influence of American servicemen who came to the region and helped introduce Norwich audiences to rhythm and blues and soul music.
Another local story featured on the tour 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 story of Black music and nightlife in Norwich.
Alongside stories of individuals and cultural life, the tour also examines Norwich and Norfolk’s connections with slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Participants will learn 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 the different ways people from the county became involved in the movement against slavery.
By bringing these stories together, Norwich: A Black History Walking Tour demonstrates that Black history is deeply connected with local history. Norwich’s streets, buildings and public spaces hold stories linking the city with Africa, the Caribbean, the United States and the wider history of the Atlantic world.
The walk also reveals how migration, music, entertainment, trade and political activism have all contributed to the diverse history of Norwich and Norfolk.
Taking place during Black History Month 2026, this 105-minute guided tour offers residents and visitors an opportunity to see familiar parts of Norwich from a different perspective and discover Black stories that have too often remained outside the traditional telling of the city’s past.
The tour starts outside The Forum at 11:00am and finishes at approximately 12:45pm.
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