Editing Devizes (section)

==Transport==
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2017}}
[[File:Devizes station 1900.JPG|thumb|The former Devizes railway station (closed 1966)]]
[[File:Caen.hill.locks.in.devizes.arp.jpg|alt=A series of approximately 20 black lock gates with white ends to the paddle arms and wooden railings, each slightly higher than the one below. On the right is a path and on both sides grass and vegetation.|thumb|A flight of 16 [[lock (water transport)|lock]]s climbs [[Caen Hill Locks|Caen Hill]] near Devizes, on the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]]]]
In 1857 the [[Great Western Railway]] built its [[Devizes branch line]] eastward to Devizes, from [[Holt Junction]] on its {{stnlnk|Chippenham}}-{{stnlnk|Weymouth}} line, to [[Devizes railway station]] just south of the market place. In 1862 GWR extended the [[Berks and Hants Extension Railway|Reading-Hungerford line]] westward to meet this line, providing a direct route between {{stnlnk|Paddington}} and the [[West Country]] through Devizes.<ref>{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 4 pp280-293 – Railways|editor-first=Elizabeth|editor-last=Crittall|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp280-293|publisher=University of London|access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> [[Pans Lane Halt railway station|Pans Lane Halt]], southeast of the town in the suburb of [[Wick, Devizes|Wick]], opened in 1929.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pans Lane Halt, c1960s|url=http://www.steampicturelibrary.com/pans-lane-halt-c1960s/print/675025.html|website=STEAM Picture Library|access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> The building of a [[Stert and Westbury Railway|by-pass line through Westbury]] in 1900 diverted most traffic from the Devizes line and [[British Rail]] closed it in 1966; the station was demolished soon after.<ref>{{cite book|title=Wiltshire Railway Stations|last1=Oakley|first1=Mike|publisher=The Dovecote Press|year=2004|isbn=1-904349-33-1|location=Wimborne|pages=51–55}}</ref> Today the nearest railway stations are at {{stnlink|Melksham}}, Chippenham and {{stnlnk|Pewsey}}, although {{As of|2020|lc=y}} there is a proposal to open a station on the Westbury line at [[Lydeway]], {{Convert|2+1/2|mi|km|0|abbr=}} southeast of the town.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moore|first=Joanne|date=23 May 2020|title=Devizes wins Government cash for train station project|url=https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/18471454.devizes-wins-government-cash-train-station-project/|access-date=1 August 2020|website=The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald|language=en}}</ref>

Devizes has bus connections to surrounding towns including [[Swindon]] (via [[Avebury (village)|Avebury]]), [[Trowbridge]], [[Salisbury]], [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] and [[Chippenham]], each of which have rail services. Devizes also has a daily [[National Express Coaches|National Express]] coach service to and from London Victoria, via Heathrow Airport. There is a regular bus service to and from [[Stonehenge]].

Devizes is approximately {{convert|15|mi|km}} from the [[M4 motorway|M4]]. Several main roads pass through the town, including the [[A360 road|A360]], [[A361 road|A361]] and [[A342 road|A342]].

The [[Kennet and Avon Canal]] was built under the direction of [[John Rennie the Elder|John Rennie]] between 1794 and 1810, linking Devizes with Bristol and London.<ref>{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 10 pp272-279 – Canals|editor-first=Elizabeth|editor-last=Crittall|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp272-279|publisher=University of London|access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> Near Devizes the canal rises {{convert|237|ft|m}} by means of 29 locks, 16 of them in a straight line at [[Caen Hill Locks|Caen Hill]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caen Hill Locks {{!}} Places to visit |url=https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/places-to-visit/caen-hill-locks |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=canalrivertrust.org.uk |language=en}}</ref> In the early days the canal was lit by [[Gas lighting|gas light]]s at night, enabling boats to negotiate the locks at any time of day. The canal fell into disuse after the coming of the railways in the 1840s, but was restored between 1970 and 2003 for leisure uses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devizes locks |url=http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/a_heritage/canals/LG/Devizes_locks.htm |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=www.photographers-resource.co.uk}}</ref> The [[Kennet and Avon Canal Trust]] run a museum at The Wharf in Devizes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visit our museum |url=https://katrust.org.uk/things-to-do/museum/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Kennet & Avon Canal Trust |language=en-GB}}</ref> The town is the starting point of the annual [[Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Race Info |url=https://www.dwrace.co.uk/info |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=DW Race |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[National Cycle Route 4]] follows the canal towpath through the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sustrans National cycle network |url=https://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/getting-around/cycling/cycle-maps-routes/sustrans-national-cycle-network/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Connecting Wiltshire |language=en-US}}</ref>