Devizes Heritage is a website about the history, every day life, the green areas and open spaces around Devizes and its villages.

Devizes has a rich history with hundreds of important old buildings. It is situated in beautiful down land and has a rich cultural life and an excellent Festival programme.

Above: Devizes Town Hall built around 1808 on the site of an Old Hall that traced its origins to 1615.

Links are in blue, click on these for other web pages on this site; about the town's history its buildings and their historic residents, the Castle, the Battle of Roundway Down in 1643, our churches, old and modern schools, the Railway and Devizes Prison.

Alan Carter, the webmaster is now living in Peru, but is still editing this website and the Devizes Heritage Facebook pages.

Below: Every Thursday is market day in the Market Square in Devizes.

Above: the beautiful fountain in the Market Place. It was built in 1879 by public subscription to honour Thomas Sotherton Estcourt, Devizes MP and Home Secretary in 1859.

Open Spaces for information about the Green, the Downs around Devizes, Roundway Hill and Oliver's Castle, Drew's Pond, our White Horses and footpaths.

Above: Devizes castle; built in 1840 on the site of the Norman castle -1080 motte and bailey, 1120 a stone fortress.The old castle was much larger than the modern one.

Below is St.John's Church, built at the same time as the Castle in the early 12th century by Bishop Roger of Salisbury.

Above: St. John the Baptist Church on Long Street in late evening light. The Tower held the Town gunpowder reserve in the Civil War and was handed over to Lord Hopton when he was besieged for 3 days in July 1643.

The town developed around the Norman castle and Churches; the archaeological evidence is discussed. This is a developing section and it contains only a small section on Avebury but this will develop over time.

Below: Oliver's Castle, an iron age hill fort in Bromham Parish.

AboveDevizes and Roundway Down were the site of a major English Civil War battle in July 1643. St. Johns and St James Churches both bear scars of the Siege of Devizes . The King's army lifted the Siege and defeated Waller's Parliamentary on Roundway Hill and Oliver's Castle. There were 600 killed.

Please e-mail Alan Carter, at Devizes Heritage

alancarter702@gmail.com

Above: Devizes from Roundway Hill with the two Norman churches of St John's and St Mary's evident. The green park land in the foreground is part of the New Park and Roundway Park which from the early 1700s to 1950 was home to 4 very significant Devizes families. See the Roundway House page.

The white building (back right) is Hillworth House. This 1830s house is the focal point of Hillworth Park which has undergone a £1.9 million improvement programme opening up the two areas of the old park and providing wider and better access from Hillworth Road. There are new football and basketball all weather courts, a rock-climbing boulder, improved play facilities for children and a cafe with a meeting room. The grade 2, 18th century Pavilion has been conserved. The project was a Devizes Town Council initiative with joint funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Above: the Park in use during the hot summer.The Hillworth Park Gazetteer documents the Park and its history.

Above: is an unusual photo of Devizes Castle . This photo was taken from the Tower of St. James Church - St James originally part of Bishops Canning and it is set next to the historic Crammer Pond and Green below.

Modern Cultural events Devizes is rich in community groups and spirit. There are fairs, carnivals and parades throughout the year. Click on the blue link to see photos of what has been happening in Devizes. The market place provides a venue for fairs and carnivals. There is a photogallery of these, click on the blue link to view.

Above: Monday Market Street leading to the Norman St. Mary's Church. This was the site of the first market in Devizes from the 12th century and of a 16th century burning of a religious martyr.

Below: Morris dancing in the market Square. Devizes market is held in the historic Market Square every Thursday. French markets are held there too from time to time.

Below - the famous Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal at Devizes

Below: the super basket swing in the Green playground by the Crammer Pond.

Below a 7 foot tall monocycle and juggler in the Brittox Devizes.

Below: Pewsey Vale butterfly.