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About Devizes
A Norman castle was built in Devizes
in the 11th century by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury.
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. The original
castle was probably a wood and earth construction,
but this was rebuilt in stone by Roger of Salisbury,
Osmund’s successor. This castle changed hands
several times during the civil war between Stephen
of Blois and Matilda in the 12th century. During the
12th and 13th centuries the town of Devizes developed
outside the castle with craftsmen and traders setting
up businesses to provide the residents of the castle
with goods and services. The first known market in
Devizes was in 1228. The original market place 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 Lord
Wilmot and Waller's forces were almost totally destroyed.
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 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. 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, grocers and silversmiths.
In the 18th century brewing, curing of tobacco and
the manufacture of snuff were established in the town.
Brewing still survives in the famous Wadworth Brewery,
but the tobacco and snuff trades have now died out.
The flight of 16 locks at Caen Hill on the Kennet
and Avon CanalThe Kennet and Avon Canal was constructed
between 1794 and 1810 and served to link Devizes with
Bristol and London. Near Devizes the canal rises 237
feet by means of 29 locks, 16 of them in a straight
line at Caen Hill. The canal fell into disuse after
the coming of the railway, but has been restored,
and is now used for leisure purposes. In 1857 the
Somerset and Weymouth Railway opened a branch line
from Holt Junction, on their line from Chippenham
to Weymouth, to Devizes. In 1862 the Great Western
Railway extended their Reading to Hungerford line
to meet this line, providing a direct line from London
to the West Country through Devizes. However the building
of a by-pass line through Westbury removed most traffic
from the Devizes line and it closed in 1966. Today
the nearest railway stations are at Chippenham or
Pewsey. The town is currently experiencing quite rapid
housing growth, especially on its eastern fringe towards
Andover.
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