Devizes
Encyclopedia
Devizes is a market town
and civil parish in Wiltshire
, England. The town is about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Chippenham
and about 11 miles (17.7 km) east of Trowbridge
.
Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place
where a market
is held once a week. It has over five hundred listed buildings, a large open Green at the heart of the town, some notable churches and a Town Hall. Its development has grown around the 11th century Norman
castle.
was built by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury
in 1080, but the town is not mentioned in the Domesday Book
. Because the castle was located on the boundaries of the manors
of Rowde
, Bishops Cannings
and Potterne
it became known as the castrum ad divisas or "the castle at the boundaries", hence the name Devizes. On John Speed
's map of Wiltshire
(1611), the town's name is recorded as The Devyses. The first castle on the site was of the motte and bailey form and was probably constructed from wood and earth, but this burnt down in 1113. A new castle was built in stone by Roger of Salisbury
, Osmund's successor. Devizes received its first charter
in 1141 permitting regular markets. The castle changed hands several times during the civil war between Stephen of Blois
and Matilda in the 12th century. The castle held important prisoners, including Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror in 1106. Robert was kept in Devizes for twenty years, before being moved to Cardiff Castle
.
The town has had churches since the early 11th century. The town has four Church of England
parish church
es. The oldest is dedicated to St John the Baptist
and was founded in 1130. Pevsner describes it as the second best Norman
church in Wiltshire, after Malmesbury Abbey
. It was the church intimately associated with the early Castle and its garrison. It is now a middle-of-the-road Church of England Church with a notable interior. The three others are dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, associated in its early days with the growing town of Devizes and now in a partnership with St John's, St James, part of Bishops Cannings
until the end of the 19th century and now a low church, evangelical
Anglican church, and St Peter's, originally a broad church for the canal side of the town but now a conservative, traditionalist, Anglo-Catholic
church. A Roman Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady the Immaculate Conception was built in 1865 and has a Church primary school associated with and adjacent to it.
Devizes has a record of early dissenting preachers and churches. One church St. Mary's Chapel or the Congregational Church was founded on Northgate Street in 1776. It had two early charismatic preachers, the Reverend Robert Sloper and then the Reverend Richard Elliot, the anti-slavery campaigner. They regularly had congregations of over 500 in the early 19th century. This church has now been converted into one house and six apartments, and the congregation has united with the Methodist
church to form St Andrew's United Church, on Long Street. There are two Baptist
churches in the town, a Friends meeting house
, and an Assemblies of God
church.
During the 12th and 13th centuries the town of Devizes developed outside the castle with craftsmen and traders setting up businesses to serve the residents of the castle. The first known market in Devizes was in 1228. The original market was in the large space outside St Mary’s Church, rather than in the current Market Place, which at that time would have been within the castle’s outer bailey. The chief products in the 16th and early 17th centuries were wheat, wool and yarn, with cheese, bacon and butter increasing in importance later.
In 1643, during the English Civil War
, Parliamentary
forces under Sir William Waller
besieged Royalist
forces under Sir Ralph Hopton in Devizes. However the siege
was lifted by a relief force from Oxford
under Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
and Waller's forces were almost totally destroyed at the Battle of Roundway Down
. Devizes remained under Royalist control until 1645, when Oliver Cromwell
attacked and forced the Royalists to surrender. The castle was destroyed in 1648 on the orders of Parliament, a process known as slighting
, and today little remains of it.
From the 16th century Devizes became known for its textiles, initially white woollen broadcloth
but later the manufacture of serge
, drugget
, felt
and cassimere or Zephyr cloth
. In the early 18th century Devizes held the largest corn market in the West Country
of England and also traded hops, cattle, horses and various cloth. Before the Corn Exchange was built in 1857 the trade in wheat and barley was conducted in the open, with sacks piled around the market cross
. Today's cross displays the salutary tale of Ruth Pierce, accused of cheating some buyers at the market:
The coroner, John Clare, recorded that she had been "struck down dead by the vengeance of God."
Wool
merchants were able to build prosperous town houses in St. John's and Long Street and around the market place. From the end of the 18th century the manufacture of textiles declined, but other trades in the town included clock making, a bell foundry
, booksellers, milliners, grocer
s and silversmiths. In the 18th century brewing
, curing of tobacco and snuff
-making were established in the town. Brewing still survives in the Wadworth Brewery
, but the tobacco and snuff trades have now died out.
A new Devizes Prison, or "County House of Corrections", was opened in 1817. This replaced the Old Bridewell
that had been built in Bridewell Street in 1579. The new prison was built of brick and stone, it was designed by Richard Ingleman as a two-storey polygon
surrounding a central governor's house and reflected the panopticon
principle. It had an operational life of more than ninety years and was closed in 1922. It stood on the north side of the Castle's Old Park, across the Kennet and Avon canal by way of a bridge still called the Prison Bridge. The House of Corrections was demolished by 1928.
Devizes has more than 500 listed buildings – a very large number for such a small town. The Trust for Devizes has a Town Map which provides a guide to many of them. Brownston House
is a grade I listed building on New Park Street. It has been a home to four MPs, two Army Generals from 1700 and a young ladies' boarding school from 1859 to 1901. It was conserved in 1976 by Wiltshire Council and is now a business head office. Heathcote House on the Green in Devizes is a grade II* listed building. Its history is associated with the church and education. No 8 Long Street was the house of the clothier Samuel Powell, as well as Admiral Joseph Needham Tayler
, one of the inspirations for C.S. Forester's fictional hero Horatio Hornblower
. Southbroom House close to the Green was built in 1501. It burnt down and was rebuilt by the Eyles family in 1772. Southbroom House is now at the heart of Devizes School, a large comprehensive School in Devizes.
The town was a coaching stop for Mail coach
es and stagecoaches on the road from London
to Bristol
, as evidenced by the number of coaching inn
s in the town.
The Kennet and Avon Canal
was built under the direction of John Rennie
between 1794 and 1810 to link Devizes with Bristol and London. Near Devizes the canal rises 237 feet (72.2 m) by means of 29 locks, 16 of them in a straight line at Caen Hill
. In the early days the canal was lit by gas lights at night, enabling boats to negotiate the locks at any time of day. The canal fell into disuse after the coming of the railway in the 1850s, but has been restored for leisure uses. There is a canal museum at Devizes Wharf.
In 1853 the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
was founded in the town, and later opened a museum in Long Street. Now called the Wiltshire Heritage Museum
, the collections are designated as being of national significance. The museum has Bronze Age
collections and includes finds from the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge
and Avebury
, including West Kennet Long Barrow
, Marden Henge
and Bush Barrow
.
In 1857 the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
opened Devizes railway station
and the branch line from Holt Junction, on its line between and . In 1862 the Great Western Railway
extended its to line to meet this line, providing a direct line between and the West Country
through Devizes. However the building of a by-pass line through removed most traffic from the Devizes line and British Rail
closed it in 1966. Today the nearest railway stations are at Chippenham and .
The town is experiencing rapid housing growth, especially on its eastern fringe towards Andover
.
In 1999, a hill figure
of a white horse was cut onto a hill close to Roundway Hill. Known as 'The Devizes White Horse', it replaced an earlier one which was cut in 1845.
. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council
, on which all three elected members for Devizes belong to a local political party
, the Devizes Guardians
, led by Nigel Carter
. The two councils are responsible for different aspects of local government. Prior to the Local Government Act
taking effect in 1974, Devizes was a municipal borough
. It then became the administrative centre for the much larger Kennet District Council until the district was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England
.
Devizes is part of the Devizes constituency
, represented in the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
by the first past the post system of election. The current MP is Claire Perry
of the Conservatives
. Devizes is also part of the South West England constituency
of the European Parliament
which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
Devizes has a small and steady economy mainly made up of manufacturing, retail, services and a small amount of tourism. Devizes has always traditionally been a market town, the market square still exists today; markets are held every Thursday. The town attracts some tourism due to its proximity to Avebury
, Stonehenge
and Salisbury
. Local attractions include Caen Hill Locks
, Kennet and Avon Canal
, local crop circle
s, Devizes White Horse
, Wadworth Brewery
, and the shire horse
s from Wadworth Brewery. Wadworth has opened a popular Visitor Centre, with regular tours of the Brewery.
was opened in 1857 and initially served as a main stop on the line that was named after the town: the Devizes Branch Line. In 1862 the line was extended to create a direct link from London
to the West Country
. The improvement saw increased traffic for Devizes until 1900 when a faster line through Westbury railway station
was built, and the Devizes was returned to local branch line status. The station and line remained open until 1966 when it was closed as part of the Beeching Axe
. The station was destroyed in 1970.
Pans Lane Halt railway station
in the south east of Devizes, in the suburb of Wick
, opened in 1929. It suffered the same fate as Devizes station, and was closed in 1964 and destroyed in 1970.
, Salisbury
, Bath and Chippenham
.
Devizes also has local buses provided by Bodmans Coaches that provide smaller buses to all parts of Devizes.
– but many main roads pass through the town, including the A360
, A361
and A342
.
runs through Devizes and the Caen Hill Locks
are located in Devizes. The Kennet and Avon Trust run a museum at The Wharf in Devizes. Devizes is the starting point to the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
.
, Devizes School
, which has specialist Sports College
status. It is situated in the grounds of the Southbroom House
estate and the grade 2 listed house forms its administrative core.
The town's primary schools include Nursteed, Southbroom, Wansdyke, St Peter's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic School.
Long Street has had a number of private schools, beginning in the 18th century and proliferating in the 19th. Brownston House, a Grade I listed building, was the home of Miss Bidwell's Ladies Boarding School from 1859 to 1901. A private Devizes Grammar School was established in Heathcote House in 1874 by the Reverend S.S. Pugh and carried on until 1919 by his twin sons.
, it was the first county police force founded in the country, hence its motto 'Primus et Optimus'- The First and The Best. Due to the location of their headquarters and a station in Devizes, Wiltshire Police is one of the largest employers in the town. It employs people for the Wiltshire Police Helicopter/Ambulance, police training grounds, Wiltshire Emergency Services building, all the administrative roles for headquarters and officers for the station.
and Great Western Ambulance Service
respectively. They have an ambulance station in Devizes, and their emergency communications centre is based in the Wiltshire Emergency Services building
.
, who have a fire station with a retained staff. They also have the counties training centre on the Hopton Estate and their emergency communications centre is based in the Wiltshire Emergency Services building
.
Devizes lies almost 2° west of the Greenwich Meridian, with the two-degree line running through the western edge of the town, just a few hundred yards west of the castle. As this is the centre of the east-west extent of the Ordnance Survey
mapping grid, True North
and Grid north
align exactly in Devizes.
is held on a course between Devizes and Westminster
in London. First contested in 1948, the event was one of the first to be included on the international race calendar when marathon canoeing gained worldwide popularity in the 1960s.
The local football (soccer)
team is Devizes Town F.C.
who play in the Western Football League
.
The local rugby union
team is Devizes R.F.C. founded in 1876, known as the 'Saddlebacks' (after the Wessex Saddleback
) who play in the Southern Counties (South) League.
Devizes Cricket Club was founded in 1850.
Devizes Hockey Club plays in the Premier 1 Hockey League. Under the chairmanship of Toby Gilliat Brown - grandson of Sidney Gilliat
- the club has played its way up the hockey league winning successive promotions over nine seasons.
Devizes Netball Club was founded in 1979. It has six teams in the Moonraker Netball Leagues. The A Team was champion of the Premier Division in 2007-08, 2008-9 and again in 2009-10.
Moonrakers Athletics Club is based at Devizes School. It provides coaching in throws, sprints, long distance and jumps.
in France, Oamaru
in New Zealand, Tornio
in Finland, Waiblingen
in Germany, Baja
in Hungary, and Jesi
in Italy.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England. The town is about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
and about 11 miles (17.7 km) east of Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
.
Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
where a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
is held once a week. It has over five hundred listed buildings, a large open Green at the heart of the town, some notable churches and a Town Hall. Its development has grown around the 11th century Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle.
History
Devizes CastleDevizes Castle
Devizes Castle was in the town of Devizes, Wiltshire, England .The first motte and bailey castle on this site was built in 1080 by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury. This castle burnt down in 1113 and was rebuilt in stone by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, by 1120. He occupied it under Henry I and later...
was built by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
in 1080, but the town is not mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. Because the castle was located on the boundaries of the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Rowde
Rowde
Rowde is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire.-History:The village now mainly consists of modern brick built houses, but a number of 17th century buildings still remain in the centre of the village including the George & Dragon public house...
, Bishops Cannings
Bishops Cannings
Bishops Cannings is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the settlements of Coate, Horton, Bourton and Easton, as well as the village of Bishops Cannings itself.-History:...
and Potterne
Potterne
Potterne is a village in the English county of Wiltshire. The civil parish of Potterne includes the hamlet of Potterne Wick. In the census of 2001, the village had a population of 1,570. It is located slightly to the south of Devizes and lies on the A360 which passes from Devizes to Salisbury...
it became known as the castrum ad divisas or "the castle at the boundaries", hence the name Devizes. On John Speed
John Speed
John Speed was an English historian and cartographer.-Life:He was born at Farndon, Cheshire, and went into his father's tailoring business where he worked until he was about 50...
's map of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(1611), the town's name is recorded as The Devyses. The first castle on the site was of the motte and bailey form and was probably constructed from wood and earth, but this burnt down in 1113. A new castle was built in stone by Roger of Salisbury
Roger of Salisbury
Roger was a Norman medieval Bishop of Salisbury and the seventh Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England.-Life:...
, Osmund's successor. Devizes received its first charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1141 permitting regular markets. The castle changed hands several times during the civil war between Stephen of Blois
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and Matilda in the 12th century. The castle held important prisoners, including Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror in 1106. Robert was kept in Devizes for twenty years, before being moved to Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
.
The town has had churches since the early 11th century. The town has four Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es. The oldest is dedicated to St John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and was founded in 1130. Pevsner describes it as the second best Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church in Wiltshire, after Malmesbury Abbey
Malmesbury Abbey
Malmesbury Abbey, at Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England, was founded as a Benedictine monastery around 676 by the scholar-poet Aldhelm, a nephew of King Ine of Wessex. In 941 AD, King Athelstan was buried in the Abbey. By the 11th century it contained the second largest library in Europe and was...
. It was the church intimately associated with the early Castle and its garrison. It is now a middle-of-the-road Church of England Church with a notable interior. The three others are dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, associated in its early days with the growing town of Devizes and now in a partnership with St John's, St James, part of Bishops Cannings
Bishops Cannings
Bishops Cannings is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the settlements of Coate, Horton, Bourton and Easton, as well as the village of Bishops Cannings itself.-History:...
until the end of the 19th century and now a low church, evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Anglican church, and St Peter's, originally a broad church for the canal side of the town but now a conservative, traditionalist, Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
church. A Roman Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady the Immaculate Conception was built in 1865 and has a Church primary school associated with and adjacent to it.
Devizes has a record of early dissenting preachers and churches. One church St. Mary's Chapel or the Congregational Church was founded on Northgate Street in 1776. It had two early charismatic preachers, the Reverend Robert Sloper and then the Reverend Richard Elliot, the anti-slavery campaigner. They regularly had congregations of over 500 in the early 19th century. This church has now been converted into one house and six apartments, and the congregation has united with the Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
church to form St Andrew's United Church, on Long Street. There are two Baptist
Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, despite its name, is the association of Baptist churches in England and Wales. -History:...
churches in the town, a Friends meeting house
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
, and an Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
church.
During the 12th and 13th centuries the town of Devizes developed outside the castle with craftsmen and traders setting up businesses to serve the residents of the castle. The first known market in Devizes was in 1228. The original market was in the large space outside St Mary’s Church, rather than in the current Market Place, which at that time would have been within the castle’s outer bailey. The chief products in the 16th and early 17th centuries were wheat, wool and yarn, with cheese, bacon and butter increasing in importance later.
In 1643, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Parliamentary
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
forces under Sir William Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
besieged Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
forces under Sir Ralph Hopton in Devizes. However the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
was lifted by a relief force from Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
under Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
Lieutenant-General Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester , known as The Lord Wilmot between 1643 and 1644 and as The Viscount Wilmot between 1644 and 1652, was an English Cavalier who fought for the Royalist cause during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Early life:Wilmot's family was descended from...
and Waller's forces were almost totally destroyed at the Battle of Roundway Down
Battle of Roundway Down
The Battle of Roundway Down was fought on 13 July 1643, during the First English Civil War. A Royalist cavalry force under Lord Wilmot won a crushing victory over the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller who were besieging Devizes in central Wiltshire, which was defended by Lord Hopton...
. Devizes remained under Royalist control until 1645, when Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
attacked and forced the Royalists to surrender. The castle was destroyed in 1648 on the orders of Parliament, a process known as slighting
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
, and today little remains of it.
From the 16th century Devizes became known for its textiles, initially white woollen broadcloth
Broadcloth
Broadcloth is a dense woollen cloth. Modern broadcloth can be composed of cotton, silk, or polyester, but traditionally broadcloth was made solely of wool. The dense weave lends sturdiness to the material....
but later the manufacture of serge
Serge
Serge is a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great coats and trench coats. Its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings. French serge is a softer, finer variety...
, drugget
Drugget
Druggett or drugget is "a coarse woollen fabric felted or woven, self-coloured or printed one side". Jonathan Swift refers to being "in druggets drest, of thirteen pence a yard"....
, felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
and cassimere or Zephyr cloth
Zephyr cloth
Zephyr cloth is a thin kind of cassimere made in Belgium. The term also refers to a waterproof fabric of wool....
. In the early 18th century Devizes held the largest corn market in the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
of England and also traded hops, cattle, horses and various cloth. Before the Corn Exchange was built in 1857 the trade in wheat and barley was conducted in the open, with sacks piled around the market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
. Today's cross displays the salutary tale of Ruth Pierce, accused of cheating some buyers at the market:
The coroner, John Clare, recorded that she had been "struck down dead by the vengeance of God."
Wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
merchants were able to build prosperous town houses in St. John's and Long Street and around the market place. From the end of the 18th century the manufacture of textiles declined, but other trades in the town included clock making, a bell foundry
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
, booksellers, milliners, grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
s and silversmiths. In the 18th century brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
, curing of tobacco and snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
-making were established in the town. Brewing still survives in the Wadworth Brewery
Wadworth Brewery
Wadworth is a regional brewery founded in 1875 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. They are particularly famous for their 6X beer, but also are a major brewery in the South of England.-History:...
, but the tobacco and snuff trades have now died out.
A new Devizes Prison, or "County House of Corrections", was opened in 1817. This replaced the Old Bridewell
Village lock-up
Village lock-ups are historic buildings that were used for the temporary detention of people in rural parts of England and Wales. They were often used for the confinement of drunks who were usually released the next day or to hold people being brought before the local magistrate. A typical village...
that had been built in Bridewell Street in 1579. The new prison was built of brick and stone, it was designed by Richard Ingleman as a two-storey polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
surrounding a central governor's house and reflected the panopticon
Panopticon
The Panopticon is a type of building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe all inmates of an institution without them being able to tell whether or not they are being watched...
principle. It had an operational life of more than ninety years and was closed in 1922. It stood on the north side of the Castle's Old Park, across the Kennet and Avon canal by way of a bridge still called the Prison Bridge. The House of Corrections was demolished by 1928.
Devizes has more than 500 listed buildings – a very large number for such a small town. The Trust for Devizes has a Town Map which provides a guide to many of them. Brownston House
Brownston House
Brownston House is a Grade I listed building at Devizes, Wiltshire, England, dating from the beginning of the 18th century.-Description:Built of dark rubbed brickwork of fine quality, the house has two storeys and an attic and basement. The wide symmetrical front has a three bay central projection....
is a grade I listed building on New Park Street. It has been a home to four MPs, two Army Generals from 1700 and a young ladies' boarding school from 1859 to 1901. It was conserved in 1976 by Wiltshire Council and is now a business head office. Heathcote House on the Green in Devizes is a grade II* listed building. Its history is associated with the church and education. No 8 Long Street was the house of the clothier Samuel Powell, as well as Admiral Joseph Needham Tayler
Joseph Needham Tayler
Joseph Needham Tayler , CB was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, one of the inspirations for C.S. Forester's fictional hero Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy officer who is the protagonist of a series of novels by C. S. Forester. He was later the subject of films and television programs.The original Hornblower tales began with the 1937 novel The Happy Return Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy...
. Southbroom House close to the Green was built in 1501. It burnt down and was rebuilt by the Eyles family in 1772. Southbroom House is now at the heart of Devizes School, a large comprehensive School in Devizes.
The town was a coaching stop for Mail coach
Mail coach
In Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
es and stagecoaches on the road from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, as evidenced by the number of coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s in the town.
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
was built under the direction of John Rennie
John Rennie
-People:* John Rennie the Elder , engineer * Sir John Rennie the Younger , engineer * John Rennie , naval architect...
between 1794 and 1810 to link Devizes with Bristol and London. Near Devizes the canal rises 237 feet (72.2 m) by means of 29 locks, 16 of them in a straight line at Caen Hill
Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks are a flight of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, between Rowde and Devizes in Wiltshire England.The 29 locks have a rise of 237 feet in 2 miles or a 1 in 44 gradient. The locks come in three groups. The lower seven locks, Foxhangers Wharf Lock to Foxhangers Bridge Lock, are...
. In the early days the canal was lit by gas lights at night, enabling boats to negotiate the locks at any time of day. The canal fell into disuse after the coming of the railway in the 1850s, but has been restored for leisure uses. There is a canal museum at Devizes Wharf.
In 1853 the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1853, and is one of the largest county-based archaeological societies in the UK. It runs the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire which has the best Bronze Age collections in Britain, including finds from Avebury...
was founded in the town, and later opened a museum in Long Street. Now called the Wiltshire Heritage Museum
Wiltshire Heritage Museum
The Wiltshire Heritage Museum, formerly known as Devizes Museum, is a museum, archive and library and art gallery in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. The museum was established and is still run by, the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society , a registered charity founded in 1853. After...
, the collections are designated as being of national significance. The museum has Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
collections and includes finds from the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
and Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles which is located around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, south west England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain...
, including West Kennet Long Barrow
West Kennet Long Barrow
The West Kennet Long Barrow is a Neolithic tomb or barrow, situated on a prominent chalk ridge, near Silbury Hill, one-and-a-half miles south of Avebury in Wiltshire, England. The site was recorded by John Aubrey in the 17th century and by William Stukeley in the 18th century.Archaeologists...
, Marden Henge
Marden Henge
Marden Henge is the largest stone age henge enclosure in the United Kingdom, located in the village of Marden, Wiltshire, situated within the Vale of Pewsey between the World Heritage sites of Avebury and Stonehenge....
and Bush Barrow
Bush Barrow
Bush Barrow is a site of the early British Bronze Age , at the western end of the Normanton Down Barrows cemetery. It is among the most important sites of the Stonehenge complex. It was excavated in 1808 by Sir Richard Colt Hoare and William Cunnington...
.
In 1857 the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' with Weymouth in Dorset, England. Branches ran to Devizes, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury in Wiltshire, and to Radstock in Somerset. The majority of the line survives...
opened Devizes railway station
Devizes railway station
Devizes railway station was the railway station serving Devizes in Wiltshire, England. The station was on the Devizes Branch Line, in between Pans Lane Halt and Bromham & Rowde Station.- Conception :...
and the branch line from Holt Junction, on its line between and . In 1862 the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
extended its to line to meet this line, providing a direct line between and the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
through Devizes. However the building of a by-pass line through removed most traffic from the Devizes line and British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
closed it in 1966. Today the nearest railway stations are at Chippenham and .
The town is experiencing rapid housing growth, especially on its eastern fringe towards Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
.
In 1999, a hill figure
Hill figure
A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural...
of a white horse was cut onto a hill close to Roundway Hill. Known as 'The Devizes White Horse', it replaced an earlier one which was cut in 1845.
Governance
Devizes is a civil parish with an elected town councilTown council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
, on which all three elected members for Devizes belong to a local political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, the Devizes Guardians
Devizes Guardians
The Devizes Guardians are a local political party based in Devizes, Wiltshire. The party was formed in 2001 and has been successful in winning seats on Kennet District Council and Wiltshire Council.It is sometimes called the "local conservation party"....
, led by Nigel Carter
Nigel Carter
Nigel Denys Carter CEnv FEI MIEMA is an English Chartered Environmentalist, politician, leader of the Devizes Guardians party since 2002, and a member of Wiltshire Council since June 2009. His first career was as a naval officer.-Career:...
. The two councils are responsible for different aspects of local government. Prior to the Local Government Act
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
taking effect in 1974, Devizes was a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. It then became the administrative centre for the much larger Kennet District Council until the district was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England
2009 structural changes to local government in England
Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...
.
Devizes is part of the Devizes constituency
Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)
Devizes is a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire, England, which is now represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England....
, represented in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
by the first past the post system of election. The current MP is Claire Perry
Claire Perry
Claire Louise Perry is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Devizes since the 2010 general election.-Biography:Education...
of the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Devizes is also part of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
Economy
Avebury
Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles which is located around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, south west England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain...
, Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. Local attractions include Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks are a flight of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, between Rowde and Devizes in Wiltshire England.The 29 locks have a rise of 237 feet in 2 miles or a 1 in 44 gradient. The locks come in three groups. The lower seven locks, Foxhangers Wharf Lock to Foxhangers Bridge Lock, are...
, Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
, local crop circle
Crop circle
A crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rapeseed. Crop circles are also referred to as crop formations, because they are not always circular in shape. While the exact date crop circles began to appear is unknown, the documented...
s, Devizes White Horse
Roundway
Roundway is a Parish near to Devizes in English county of Wiltshire.Roundway is still a parish independent from Devizes, but housing development has continued over northwards from Devizes over the parish boundary. In the census of 2001, the village had a population of 2,267. It is located in the...
, Wadworth Brewery
Wadworth Brewery
Wadworth is a regional brewery founded in 1875 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. They are particularly famous for their 6X beer, but also are a major brewery in the South of England.-History:...
, and the shire horse
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
s from Wadworth Brewery. Wadworth has opened a popular Visitor Centre, with regular tours of the Brewery.
Rail
Devizes railway stationDevizes railway station
Devizes railway station was the railway station serving Devizes in Wiltshire, England. The station was on the Devizes Branch Line, in between Pans Lane Halt and Bromham & Rowde Station.- Conception :...
was opened in 1857 and initially served as a main stop on the line that was named after the town: the Devizes Branch Line. In 1862 the line was extended to create a direct link from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
. The improvement saw increased traffic for Devizes until 1900 when a faster line through Westbury railway station
Westbury railway station
Westbury railway station serves the town of Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The station is managed by First Great Western.The station is a major junction, serving the Reading to Plymouth Line with services to and from Penzance and London Paddington, the Wessex Main Line with services to and from...
was built, and the Devizes was returned to local branch line status. The station and line remained open until 1966 when it was closed as part of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. The station was destroyed in 1970.
Pans Lane Halt railway station
Pans Lane Halt railway station
Pans Lane Halt railway station was the railway station serving the south easterly suburbs of Devizes in Wiltshire, England. The station was on the Devizes Branch Line, in between Devizes Station and the Reading-Taunton Line.- Opening :...
in the south east of Devizes, in the suburb of Wick
Wick, Devizes
Wick is a suburb of Devizes in English county of Wiltshire.Until around 1800 Wick was a village independent from Devizes, until Devizes eventually expanded up to Wick and was it was made a suburb of Devizes...
, opened in 1929. It suffered the same fate as Devizes station, and was closed in 1964 and destroyed in 1970.
Bus
Due to being in the centre of Wiltshire, Devizes has many connections to surrounding towns including SwindonSwindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Bath and Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
.
Devizes also has local buses provided by Bodmans Coaches that provide smaller buses to all parts of Devizes.
Road
Devizes is a fair distance from any motorways – approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the M4M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
– but many main roads pass through the town, including the A360
A360 road
The A360 is a minor A road in Wiltshire, England, running from Devizes to Salisbury, through the villages of Potterne, West Lavington, Tilshead, and Shrewton, and passing near Stonehenge....
, A361
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
and A342
A342 road
The A342 is an A road that runs from Pewsham near Chippenham, Wiltshire to Andover, Hampshire.The road begins at the A4 junction just outside of the small village Pewsham, to the east of Chippenham. It heads south past the village of Derry Hill towards Devizes, briefly meeting with the A3102 near...
.
Water
Devizes is famous for its canal waterway which was restored between 1970 and 2003, the Kennet and Avon CanalKennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
runs through Devizes and the Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks are a flight of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, between Rowde and Devizes in Wiltshire England.The 29 locks have a rise of 237 feet in 2 miles or a 1 in 44 gradient. The locks come in three groups. The lower seven locks, Foxhangers Wharf Lock to Foxhangers Bridge Lock, are...
are located in Devizes. The Kennet and Avon Trust run a museum at The Wharf in Devizes. Devizes is the starting point to the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race in England. The race is held every Easter over a course of from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster in central London. It has been run since 1948. Starting at Devizes wharf, the route follows the Kennet and Avon...
.
Education
Devizes has one comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, Devizes School
Devizes School
Devizes School is a mixed comprehensive school in Devizes, Wiltshire, England, for children aged 11-18 and is the largest school in the town.-Admissions:...
, which has specialist Sports College
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
status. It is situated in the grounds of the Southbroom House
Southbroom House
Southbroom House is currently the main building of Devizes School, Wiltshire, England , and owned by Wiltshire Council.-History:The History of Southbroom House 1501-1980...
estate and the grade 2 listed house forms its administrative core.
The town's primary schools include Nursteed, Southbroom, Wansdyke, St Peter's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic School.
Long Street has had a number of private schools, beginning in the 18th century and proliferating in the 19th. Brownston House, a Grade I listed building, was the home of Miss Bidwell's Ladies Boarding School from 1859 to 1901. A private Devizes Grammar School was established in Heathcote House in 1874 by the Reverend S.S. Pugh and carried on until 1919 by his twin sons.
Police
Devizes is policed by Wiltshire Police, who also hold their headquarters in Devizes. Policing of Devizes was the responsibility of the City of Salisbury Police until Wiltshire Constabulary was founded in 1839 under the County Police Act 1839County Police Act 1839
The County Police Act 1839 was an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act enabled Justices of the Peace in England and Wales to establish police forces in their counties...
, it was the first county police force founded in the country, hence its motto 'Primus et Optimus'- The First and The Best. Due to the location of their headquarters and a station in Devizes, Wiltshire Police is one of the largest employers in the town. It employs people for the Wiltshire Police Helicopter/Ambulance, police training grounds, Wiltshire Emergency Services building, all the administrative roles for headquarters and officers for the station.
Ambulance
Healthcare and Ambulance response services in Devizes are provided NHS Wiltshire, part of NHS South WestNHS South West
NHS South West is a strategic health authority of the National Health Service in England. It operates in the South West region, which is coterminous with the local government office region....
and Great Western Ambulance Service
Great Western Ambulance Service
The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust is a UK National Health Service trust providing emergency and non emergency patient transport services to Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire in the South West England region...
respectively. They have an ambulance station in Devizes, and their emergency communications centre is based in the Wiltshire Emergency Services building
Wiltshire Emergency Services
Wiltshire Emergency Services is the collaboration of the emergency services in Wiltshire, England, including Wiltshire Police, Great Western Ambulance Service and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service- History :...
.
Fire and rescue
Fire and rescue services in Devizes are provided Wiltshire Fire and Rescue ServiceWiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service is the county-wide, statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It is administered by a joint authority of 13 members, 9 appointed by Wiltshire Council and 4 by Swindon Borough Council, called the Wiltshire and Swindon...
, who have a fire station with a retained staff. They also have the counties training centre on the Hopton Estate and their emergency communications centre is based in the Wiltshire Emergency Services building
Wiltshire Emergency Services
Wiltshire Emergency Services is the collaboration of the emergency services in Wiltshire, England, including Wiltshire Police, Great Western Ambulance Service and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service- History :...
.
Location
Position: .Devizes lies almost 2° west of the Greenwich Meridian, with the two-degree line running through the western edge of the town, just a few hundred yards west of the castle. As this is the centre of the east-west extent of the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
mapping grid, True North
True north
True north is the direction along the earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole.True geodetic north usually differs from magnetic north , and from grid north...
and Grid north
Grid north
Grid north is a navigational term referring to the direction northwards along the grid lines of a map projection. It is contrasted with true north and magnetic north...
align exactly in Devizes.
Sport
Each year at Easter the 125 miles (201.2 km) Devizes to Westminster International Canoe MarathonDevizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race in England. The race is held every Easter over a course of from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster in central London. It has been run since 1948. Starting at Devizes wharf, the route follows the Kennet and Avon...
is held on a course between Devizes and Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
in London. First contested in 1948, the event was one of the first to be included on the international race calendar when marathon canoeing gained worldwide popularity in the 1960s.
The local football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team is Devizes Town F.C.
Devizes Town F.C.
Devizes Town F.C. is a football club based in Devizes, Wiltshire, England.They are members of the Western Football League Division One. They play at Nursteed Road: the official opening of the ground took place in 1965. The first team is currently managed by Paul Thompson and his assistant Steve Hale...
who play in the Western Football League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
.
The local rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team is Devizes R.F.C. founded in 1876, known as the 'Saddlebacks' (after the Wessex Saddleback
Wessex Saddleback
The Wessex Saddleback or Wessex Pig is a breed of domestic pig originating in the West Country of England, , especially in Wiltshire and the New Forest area of Hampshire. It is black, with white forequarters. In Britain it was amalgamated with the Essex pig to form the British Saddleback, and it...
) who play in the Southern Counties (South) League.
Devizes Cricket Club was founded in 1850.
Devizes Hockey Club plays in the Premier 1 Hockey League. Under the chairmanship of Toby Gilliat Brown - grandson of Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
- the club has played its way up the hockey league winning successive promotions over nine seasons.
Devizes Netball Club was founded in 1979. It has six teams in the Moonraker Netball Leagues. The A Team was champion of the Premier Division in 2007-08, 2008-9 and again in 2009-10.
Moonrakers Athletics Club is based at Devizes School. It provides coaching in throws, sprints, long distance and jumps.
Twin towns
Devizes is twinned with MayenneMayenne, Mayenne
Mayenne is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is situated on the river Mayenne.-History:In medieval times, the town was the seat of the Lords of Mayenne...
in France, Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
in New Zealand, Tornio
Tornio
Tornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
in Finland, Waiblingen
Waiblingen
Waiblingen is a town in the southwest of Germany, located in the center of the densely populated Stuttgart Region, directly neighboring Stuttgart. It is the capital of the Rems-Murr district...
in Germany, Baja
Baja, Hungary
Baja is a city in , southern Hungary. It is the second largest city in the county, after the county seat at Kecskemét, and is home to around 37,000 people....
in Hungary, and Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
in Italy.
See also
External links
- Devizes Town Council
- Historic Devizes photos at BBC Wiltshire
- Six English Towns: Devizes - A 30 minute BBC TV programme made in 1984 looking at Devizes architecture
- Day Out: Devizes - A 30 minute BBC TV programme made in 1977 of a day spent exploring Devizes
- Wiltshire County Council Website on Devizes, retrieved 18:15 Oct 12, 2004 (UTC)