Medway’s Got Culture: Black History Bus Tour 2026 🚌 3 hours. 4 stops. 5+ Unforgettable stories.

Join Medway Culture Club for a special guided bus tour exploring the rich and diverse Black history of the Medway Towns.

Come aboard and discover a side of Medway’s history you may never have seen before! 🚌✨

Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. BOOK HERE

Medway’s Got Culture is a bespoke three-hour heritage bus tour designed and delivered by local historian and professional tour guide Rob Flood.

Rob is a local historian, professional tour guide and co-founder of Oral History Medway, a Community Interest Company dedicated to capturing, preserving and sharing the lived experiences and untold stories of the Medway Towns. Alongside his work with Oral History Medway, Rob has helped bring important local stories to wider audiences through heritage projects, exhibitions, talks and the Made in Medway podcast. His passion is uncovering the people and stories behind the places we think we know, shining a light on voices and histories that have too often been overlooked. With Rob as your guide, expect fascinating characters, surprising connections and stories that will give you a whole new perspective on Medway’s past.

Travelling across Medway, we’ll visit some of the area’s lesser-known landmarks and discover the remarkable people, stories and contributions that have helped shape our local history.

With four stops, fascinating stories and plenty to discover, this is a unique opportunity for families and communities to explore Medway through a different lens and uncover stories that you may not have heard before.

🚌 Tour itinerary

Departing from MidKent College for Palm Cottage in Gillingham to Chatham Dockyard, Chatham Railway Station and Rochester Cathedral, this immersive tour takes you beyond the traditional history books to uncover stories of people who lived, worked, travelled and made their mark right here in Medway.

With our tour guide, discover how Black history has been part of Medway’s story since at least the 16th century, shaped by the Royal Navy, the Dockyard, migration, education, music and the fight for equality.

The people behind the stories

Sarah Forbes Bonetta (Aina) was a Yoruba princess who survived enslavement and became the goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was educated in Britain, became a talented linguist and musician, and spent time living at Palm Cottage in Gillingham.

Rev James Schön was an Anglican priest and linguist who made Palm Cottage a centre for African languages and culture, working with African scholars and visitors including Aina and Samuel Ajayi Crowther.

Chatham Cuffay was a Black sailor and Dockyard worker whose story represents the many Black workers who contributed to Britain’s naval power.

William Cuffay, his son, became a radical Chartist leader. Despite facing racism, disability and poverty, he campaigned for political reform and workers’ rights before being transported to Tasmania.

Joshua Campbelton, a Black Royal Navy sailor and Chatham Dockyard worker, spent more than two decades in naval service before continuing to work at the Dockyard despite losing a leg in an industrial accident.

Olaudah Equiano, abolitionist, sailor and author, served aboard HMS Namur, built at Chatham Dockyard, and later became one of the most influential voices in the campaign to abolish the slave trade.

Asquith Xavier challenged the colour bar at British Railways. In 1966, he became the first Black train guard at London Euston, helping to break an institutional barrier that had denied Black workers opportunities.

James Barnor, pioneering Ghanaian photographer, studied photography in Medway and went on to create an internationally celebrated body of work documenting African and Black British life.

Finally, discover Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, one of Britain’s greatest composers, whose performances with the Rochester Choral Society brought his music to Rochester and connected Medway with his extraordinary international career.

This is more than a bus tour. It is a journey through the people, places and stories that helped shape Medway and Britain.

3 hours. 4 stops. 5+ unforgettable stories. One journey through Medway’s hidden history.

Spaces are limited, so book your place and discover the Black history of Medway for yourself.

Return to MidKent College

🎟️ Tickets

Children: £7.50 Adults: £12.50

All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and accompanying adults will need to purchase a ticket.

Please feel free to bring your own lunch and refreshments for the journey.

Whether you’re passionate about local history, discovering Black British heritage, or simply looking for an interesting and memorable family day out, come and explore the stories, people and places that make Medway’s culture so rich and diverse.

Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. BOOK HERE