In the Footsteps of Charles Ignatius Sancho: A London Walking Tour

Walk a mile in the shoes of Charles Ignatius Sancho, a Black Londoner who lived in and around the city from 1733 to 1780. Born on a slave ship, Sancho went on to become a writer, musician, abolitionist, shopkeeper and, most famously, a grocer. On this walking tour, both Sancho’s world and Georgian London are brought to life through the voice of actor and writer Paterson Joseph.

Starting outside Westminster Abbey, you’ll pass some of Sancho’s favourite haunts including the Theatre Royal. You’ll hear snippets plucked from his diary and be introduced to his partner Anne Osbourne, his former patron Duke John Montagu, and some of the other characters that played a part in his life. You’ll stroll through Parliament Square, across Trafalgar Square and along Drury Lane, finishing your walk outside the British Museum, where the Duke’s Bloomsbury residence once stood.

On this tour you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Find out how Sancho met his partner Anne in the Black Tar Tavern
• Hear about his involvement in the newly-formed British abolitionist movement
• Pass by the National Gallery where in 1807 his partner Anne set up a printers
• Discover where Sancho’s home and business were located in London
• See the spot where the Duke’s Montagu House once stood on Downing Street

This hour-long tour, narrated by author and actor Paterson Joseph, is a great accompaniment to his debut novel, which is out now. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, is available now.

An audiobook, narrated by the author, is available from all your favourite audio platforms.

Music by Ben Park