History

The Market Place In the 12th Century, at the time of the so-called Anarchy, Devizes sided with Matilda as she battled Stephen for the crown of England following the death of her father, Henry the … Read More

The History of Quakers Walk Whilst the history of Quakers Walk is not at all clear,  what is known is that the walk went across the New Park Estate.  New Park was established as a … Read More

The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry were called out numerous times to quell riots, including a bread riot in Devizes as early as 1794. Indeed so successful was the Wiltshire Yeomanry in suppressing these that the title … Read More

Devizes – a hotbed of dissent Devizes was known as a “hotbed for dissenters,” with non-conformists making up a significant minority of the town’s voters. Presbyterians, Independents (Congregationalists), and Baptists built significant chapels throughout the … Read More

The Battle of Roundway Down This battle was fought on 13 July 1643 at Roundway Down near Devizes, during the First English Civil War. Despite being outnumbered and exhausted after riding overnight from Oxford, a … Read More

The town of Devizes developed around the Norman castle which was built around c.1080 by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury. Because the castle was built on the boundaries of the King’s manor of Rowde and his … Read More