Dare to step into the shadow’s of Wantage’s past. This haunting walking tour explores the very streets where desperation, vice, and violence once thrived, uncovering a side of local history rarely taught but often whispered about.

Led by experienced guide James Mitchell ARCM, the tour delves into a time when survival was uncertain and mercy scarce. You will learn about Wantage during an era marked by poverty, lawlessness, and drunken excess, focusing in particular on the site of the original Wantage workhouse, where those labelled the “undeserving poor” were cast aside and forced to endure lives of hardship and humiliation.

Through stories rooted in real locations, the tour brings to life a sobering social history that shaped the town and its people, offering a powerful and thought‑provoking perspective on Wantage’s past.

Tour Details

• Dates & times:

  • Sunday 28th June at 11:00am
  • Thursday 2nd July at 7:30pm

• Duration: Approximately 1 hour
• Meeting point: King Alfred Statue, Wantage Market Place, OX12 8AJ
• Group size: Limited to 20 people (advance booking recommended)
• Guide: James Mitchell ARCM

Booking & Information

• Tickets: £12 from
  www.ticketsource.co.uk/Black-Wantage