The Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze age, Iron age, the Romano - British periods 43 AD to 410 AD and the Saxon periods are described on the  prehistory and archaeology page.

Devizes is not mentioned in the Norman Domesday book of 1086 and there may have been no major settlement at that time. The Castle was built as a strategic centre of power on the boundaries of three manors - Rowde, Bishops Cannings and Potterne in the early 12th century. It became known by its Latin name Castrum ad divisas - the Castle at the boundaries, which evolved to an anglicised Devizes.  

Devizes grew up around the Norman Castle in the early 12th century when St. John's ( below left) and St. Mary’s Churches were built too. The castle ceased to be of any military importance during the 14th century when the Norman Conquest was secure. It gradually fell into disrepair.  

The earliest record for a market in the town dates to 1228; this probably lay near St Mary’s Church in the old town. Despite the movement of the economic focus to the New Port – the current market place, the earlier market was officially revived as a second market in 1567.  

The earliest domestic buildings recorded are within the Maryport Street Area. Great Porch House is in Monday Market Street, it is a 15th century good-quality timber framed hall and cross-wing house. Also of this century are; 39 and 39A New Park Street, 46 to 49 Northgate Street, 4 St John’s Court, The Lamb Inn, and 25 and 26 St John’s Street.  

Below: the historic St. John's Alley leading to the Norman St. John's Church . 

 A Map of Devizes shows how housing and industry developed and around the Castle from the 12th century to the 20th century is available at the Wiltshire Archaeology Service website. (Click agree, go the map and click  Devizes)   

In the new Market Place (New Port)  there was major restructuring in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The 16th century butchers’ shambles was rebuilt in ca 1600 but the medieval shambles may have been where the market cross now stands. In1575 the yarn cross was replaced by a Yarn Hall; this became the Wool Hall in 1615 and stood on the site of the present Town Hall. By 1630 the cloth trade was in decline, and local trade was turning to felt, serge and silk manufacture. Many buildongs have survived in Devizes, some appear more modern than they really are because they lay hidden behind newer 18th and 19th century fronts.  There are over 500 listed buildings in Devizes; details of the history and people who lived in them  appear on the Historic buildings and Houses web pages.

The ruined Devizes Castle was a Royalist fortress during the early Civil War and provided a base for Lord Hopton's force during the Battle of Roundway Down in 1643. This battle was the most important Royalist victory of the first Civil War. Oliver Cromwell, in person, captured the Castle in September 1645 and ordered its destruction. This slighting took place in 1648. Subsequently the large Castle was dismantled piece by piece and its stone used for other local building works. 

The medieval market town developed into an elegant Georgian centre with County town aspirations. Its wealth up to the end of the 18th century was based on the woollen cottage industrial trades. The major building phase was during the latter half of the 18th Century and it was almost complete by 1870. 

The most significant Industrial building which survive in the town is John Anstie's Mill on the corner of Snuff Street and New Park Street  built in 1785.  Anstie changed the woolen industry around Devizes from a cottage industry to factory production with over 300 looms. His fine cloth was in great demand and at one time many of the crown heads of Europe wore Devizes cassimere. 

The 19th century brought the Kennet and Avon Canal, a railway, Army barracks, an Assizes Court, a County Prison, the first County police force in England, a County Mental Asylum, a Work House and a growing population.  

The Kennet and Avon canal was started in 1790, but it was not until 1810 that the canal was complete. The Caen Hill flight of locks had delayed the completion. The Canal made a most significant alteration of the industrial age in Devizes. It had an impact on both the road network and the development of a small industrial area of the town. The Canal was built across the northern side of the town, just outside the historic core. A wharf was built to the north of New Park Street, which attracted some industrial activity to this sector of the town.

The railway came to Devizes in two phases. A branch line to the town was opened in 1857, which approached from the west. A Station was built on a low lying site north-west of the castle on what is now Station Road. This line was extended to the east in 1862 to create a link to London. This extension involved the digging of a tunnel under the castle and a cutting to its south-east through a small part of the outer bailey and towns defensive circuit. The main reason for the alignment of the railway was the difficult gradient on Caen Hill that would not allow it to pass on the northern side of the town.

A workhouse was built in 1836 on a site east of the historic core of the town. During the 20^th century this building was converted into a small hospital before being demolished in 1992. The North Wiltshire Foundry was a large foundry site and engineering works, demolished to make way for new supermarket – now Morrisons. A gasworks was built on a site adjacent to the wharf in 1827 and rapidly expanded across the line of the towns’ defences. Although closed in 1955 the gas holders survived on the site into the 1990's.

The Army has had a major presence in Devizes throughout the years from the Wiltshire Militia in the 18th century and in 1878 le Marchant Barracks was built and this became the depot of the newly formed Wiltshire Regiment until 1959.

Devizes has a history of dissenting Protestantism; this story is told in the Churches section. The Wesley brothers were given a hard time in the 18th Century in Devizes as religious intolerance continued after the Civil War. But during the early 19th century Churches like the Congregational Church on Northgate Street drew congregations of over 600 people. many of the leading townsmen were Protestants.

Devizes has a population of about 15,000 with the facilities, buildings and services of a much larger town. It is set in a very attractive agricultural and Down land environment which makes it a wonderful place to live and visit. It acts as a centre for exploring the villages, the downs, Salisbury Plain and other green areas, Lacock and the inspirational Avebury and Stonehenge pre-historic monuments.

The detailed story of Devizes is told in the web pages and links on this website. These will develop over time to cover the railway, the Army in Devizes, the Market and more coverage of our historic houses and buildings. Some pages on archaeology are already present but more detailed accounts will be forthcoming.

Above boys swimming in the Canal  pool in St. Peter's Pound off the Bath Road in the early 1930s.. The goal is for water polo which was very popular. Photo courtesy of Babara Hopkins. 

Above: the old Devizes Railway Station 

History Links 

These links are arranged alphabetically down the right hand side of this page.

The biggest sections are on Historic Building and Schools.

 Battle of Roundway Down July 1643 - the most significant Royalist victory of the civil war; it followed on from the Siege of Devizes.