Editing Devizes

{{Short description|Town in Wiltshire, England}}
{{For|the constituency|Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox UK place
| type = [[Market town]] and  [[civil parish]]
| official_name = Devizes
| static_image_name = Monument and Fountain, Market Square, Devizes - geograph.org.uk - 1022953.jpg
| static_image_width = 
| static_image_caption = [[Market Place, Devizes|Market Place]]
| static_image_2_name = DevizesArms.PNG
| static_image_2_width = 100px
| static_image_2_caption = Arms of Devizes
| coordinates = {{coord|51|21|10|N|01|59|45|W|type:city(10000)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}}
| os_grid_reference = SU0061
| population = 16,834
| population_ref = (2021 Census)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Devizes (Parish) (E04012689) |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/wiltshire/E04012689__devizes/ |website=citypopulation.de |date= |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref>
| civil_parish = Devizes
| unitary_england = [[Wiltshire (district)|Wiltshire]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Wiltshire]]
| region = South West England
| country = England
| constituency_westminster = [[Melksham and Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)|Melksham and Devizes]]
| post_town = Devizes
| postcode_district = SN10
| postcode_area = SN
| dial_code = 01380
| website = {{URL|https://www.devizes-tc.gov.uk/|Town Council}}
}}

'''Devizes''' ({{IPAc-en|d|ᵻ|ˈ|v|aɪ|z|ᵻ|z}}) is a [[market town]] and [[civil parish]] in [[Wiltshire]], England. It developed around [[Devizes Castle]], an 11th-century [[Norman architecture|Norman]] castle,<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/the_green_and_crammer_photogalleries.html Devizes Heritage: The Green and Crammer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425040429/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/the_green_and_crammer_photogalleries.html |date=25 April 2010 }}</ref> and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during [[the Anarchy]], a 12th-century civil war between [[Stephen of England]] and [[Empress Matilda]], and again during the [[English Civil War]] when the [[Cavalier]]s lifted the siege at the [[Battle of Roundway Down]] and the  [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] Army of the West under Sir [[William Waller]] was routed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-28 |title=Battle, Roundway Down 1643 |url=http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |access-date=2024-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228224818/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/battle_of_roundway.html |archive-date=28 February 2012 }}</ref> Devizes remained under Royalist control until 1645, when [[Oliver Cromwell]] attacked and forced the Royalists to surrender. The castle was [[Slighting|destroyed]] in 1648 on the orders of Parliament, and today little remains of it.

From the 16th century Devizes became known for its textiles, and by the early 18th century it held the largest corn market in the [[West Country]], constructing the [[Corn Exchange, Devizes|Corn Exchange]] in 1857. In the 18th century, [[brewing]], curing of tobacco, and [[Snuff (tobacco)|snuff]]-making were established. The [[Wadworth Brewery]] was founded in the town in 1875.

Standing at the west edge of the [[Vale of Pewsey]], Devizes is about {{convert|10.5|mi|km}} southeast of [[Chippenham]] and {{convert|11|mi|km}} north-east of the [[county town]] of [[Trowbridge]]. The town has nearly five hundred [[listed building]]s, some notable churches, a town hall and a green in the centre.

==History==
[[Devizes Castle]] was built by [[Saint Osmund|Osmund]], [[Bishop of Salisbury]] in 1080, but the town is not mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. Because the castle was on the boundaries of the [[manorialism|manors]] of [[Rowde]], [[Bishops Cannings]] and [[Potterne]] it became known as the ''castrum ad divisas'' ("the castle at the boundaries"), hence the name ''Devizes''.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/castle.html Devizes Heritage: Castle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216014837/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/castle.html |date=16 February 2015 }}</ref> On [[John Speed]]'s map of [[Wiltshire]] (1611), the town's name is recorded as ''The Devyses''. The first castle on the site was of the [[motte and bailey]] form and was probably made of wood and earth, but this burnt down in 1113.

A new castle was built in stone by [[Roger of Salisbury]], Osmund's successor. Devizes received its first [[charter]] in 1141, permitting regular markets. The castle changed hands several times during [[the Anarchy]], a civil war between [[Stephen of England|Stephen of Blois]] and [[Empress Maud|Matilda]] in the 12th century. The castle held important prisoners, including (from 1106) [[Robert Curthose]], eldest son of [[William the Conqueror]].<ref>Charles Wendell David, ''Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy'' (1920)</ref>

The town has had churches since the 12th century<ref name="vch-relig">{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 10 pp285-314 – The borough of Devizes: Religious and cultural history|editor-first=Elizabeth|editor-last=Crittall|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol10/pp285-314|publisher=University of London|year=1975|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref> and today has four [[Church of England]] [[parish church]]es.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the town of Devizes developed outside the castle with craftsmen and traders setting up businesses to serve the residents of the castle. The first known market in Devizes was in 1228. The original market was in the large space outside St Mary's Church, rather than in the current [[Market Place, Devizes|Market Place]], which at that time would have been within the castle's outer bailey.<ref>{{cite web|title = Devizes|work=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council
|url = https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/77|access-date = 21 April 2008}}</ref> The chief products in the 16th and early 17th centuries were wheat, wool and yarn, with cheese, bacon and butter increasing in importance later.
[[File:devizes.market.cross.arp.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Market Cross, Devizes|Market Cross]], built in 1814 to replace an earlier cross standing a little to the south<ref name=Haycock92>{{cite book|last=Haycock|first=Lorna|title=Devizes|publisher=Tempus|location=Stroud, England|year=2000|edition=2|page=92|isbn=0-7524-2159-X}}</ref>]]

In 1643, during the [[English Civil War]], [[Parliament of England|Parliamentary]] forces under Sir [[William Waller]] besieged [[Cavalier|Royalist]] forces under Sir [[Ralph Hopton]] in Devizes. The [[siege]] was lifted by a relief force from [[Oxford]] under [[Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester]], and Waller's forces were almost totally destroyed at the [[Battle of Roundway Down]]. 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, a process known as [[slighting]], and today little remains of it; almost all of the present structure is from the 19th century.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1249366|desc=Devizes Castle including Glass House and Garden Walls encircling west side of mound|access-date=2 October 2023|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

From the 16th century, Devizes became known for its textiles:<ref name="vch trade">{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 10 pp252-285 – The borough of Devizes: Trade, agriculture and local government|editor-first=Elizabeth|editor-last=Crittall|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol10/pp252-285|publisher=University of London|date=1975|access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> initially white woollen [[broadcloth]] but later the manufacture of [[serge (fabric)|serge]], [[drugget]], [[felt]], and cassimere or [[Zephyr cloth]]. In the mid 18th century, Devizes held the largest corn market in the [[West Country]] of England and also traded hops, cattle, horses and various types of cloth.<ref name="vch trade" /> Before the Corn Exchange was built in 1857, the trade in wheat and barley was conducted in the open, with sacks piled around the [[market cross]].<ref name=Haycock92/> The [[Market Cross, Devizes|cross erected in 1814]] displays the tale of a woman, Ruth Pierce, who dropped dead suddenly after being discovered cheating.<ref>{{cite web|title=New twist on bizarre moral tale for all time|url=http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/7396709.new-twist-on-bizarre-moral-tale-for-all-time/|website=This Is Wiltshire|access-date=5 March 2018|language=en|date=27 September 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Waylen|first=James|title=A history military and municipal of the ancient borough of The Devizes|year=1859|publisher=Longman|location=London|page=388|chapter=Sudden Death of Ruth Pierce|oclc=655429760}}</ref><ref>Haycock (2000: 48)</ref>

Prosperous [[wool]] merchants built [[town house]]s in St. John's and Long Street, and around the market place. From the end of the 18th century the manufacture of textiles declined, but other trades in the town included clock-making, a [[Bellfounding|bell foundry]], booksellers, [[Hatmaking|milliner]]s, grocers and silversmiths. In the 18th, century brewing, curing of tobacco and [[Snuff (tobacco)|snuff]]-making were established in the town. Brewing survives in the [[Wadworth Brewery]], but the tobacco and snuff trades have now died out.

[[File:wadworths.dray.in.devizes.arp.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Shire horse]]s of the [[Wadworth Brewery]] are giving the public a ride but normally deliver beer locally]]

The pond known as The Crammer, east of the town centre, is claimed to be site of the 18th-century [[Moonrakers]] story which led to a colloquial name for Wiltshire people.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Bishops Cannings|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/20|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref>

In 1794, a meeting at the [[Bear Hotel, Devizes|Bear Hotel]] decided to raise a body of ten independent troops of yeomanry in the county of Wiltshire. These would later be brought together to form the [[Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry]], the senior yeomanry regiment. In 1810 the county militia, quartered at Devizes, mutinied and the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry were called out to quell the disturbances. The mutiny came to a head when the two forces faced off against each other with loaded firearms in the Market Square, at which point the militia ringleaders surrendered.<ref>{{cite book|last=Graham|first=Henry|title=The Annals of the Yeomanry Cavalry of Wiltshire|year=1886|publisher=Harvard University|page=13|chapter=The Formation of the Regiment}}</ref> The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry went on to serve at home and abroad, including in the [[Boer War]], both World Wars, and live on as B (RWY) Squadron and Y (RWY) Squadron of the [[Royal Wessex Yeomanry]], based in Old Sarum and Swindon respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title = Royal Wessex Yeomanry|work = British Army Website|url = http://www.army.mod.uk/armoured/regiments/30100.aspx|access-date = 5 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061011/http://www.army.mod.uk/armoured/regiments/30100.aspx|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = dead|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

A new [[Devizes Prison]], or County House of Corrections, was opened in 1817. This replaced the [[Village lock-up|Bridewell]]<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/the_old_bridewell_devizes.html Devizes Heritage: The Old Bridewell] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527141618/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/the_old_bridewell_devizes.html |date=27 May 2010 }}</ref> that had been built in Bridewell Street in 1579. The new prison was built of brick and stone, and was designed by [[Richard Ingleman]] as a two-storey [[polygon]] surrounding a central governor's house. It had an operational life of more than ninety years and was closed in 1922. It stood on the north side of the Castle's Old Park, across the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]] by way of a bridge still called Prison Bridge. The House of Corrections was demolished by 1928.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/devizes_prison_the_county_house_of_correctio.html Devizes Heritage: Devizes Prison the County House of Corrections] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611112822/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/devizes_prison_the_county_house_of_correctio.html |date=11 June 2010 }}</ref>

Devizes has more than 500 listed buildings, a large number for a town of its size. The Trust for Devizes has a Town Trail map which provides a guide to many of them.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Blue Plaque Scheme|url=http://www.trustfordevizes.info/group_activity/blue_plaque_scheme|publisher=The Trust for Devizes|access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> 17 Market Place is a substantial [[Listed building#Categories of listed building|Grade I listed]] house from the early 18th century.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1250423|desc=17, Market Place|access-date=3 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> In the centre of the Market Place is the [[Market Cross, Devizes|Market Cross]], rebuilt in 1814 to designs of [[James Wyatt]].<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1250362|desc=The Market Cross|access-date=3 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> [[Brownston House]] is another Grade I house, on New Park Street; it has been home to four MPs and two Army Generals from 1700, and housed a young ladies' boarding school from 1859 to 1901. It was conserved in 1976 by Wiltshire Council and is now a business head office.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/brownston_house_2.html Devizes Heritage: Brownston House] {{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Heathcote House on the Green in Devizes is a Grade II* listed building; its history is associated with the church and education.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/heathcote_house.html Devizes Heritage: Heathcote House] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009083455/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/heathcote_house.html |date=9 October 2011 }}</ref> No 8 Long Street was the house of the clothier Samuel Powell, as well as Admiral [[Joseph Needham Tayler|Joseph Tayler]], one of the inspirations for [[C.S. Forester]]'s fictional hero [[Horatio Hornblower]].<ref>[http://www.trustfordevizes.info/112%20Final%20Web.pdf Trust for Devizes newsletter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125012635/http://www.trustfordevizes.info/112%20Final%20Web.pdf |date=25 January 2011 }}</ref> [[Southbroom House]],<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/southbroom_house_devizes.html Devizes Heritage: Southbroom House] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009084156/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/southbroom_house_devizes.html |date=9 October 2011 }}</ref> close to the Green, was built in 1501, then burnt down and was rebuilt by the Eyles family in 1772; it is now at the heart of [[Devizes School]].

The town was a coaching stop for [[mail coach]]es and [[stagecoaches]] on the road from London to [[Bristol]], as evidenced by the number of [[coaching inn]]s in the town. The Kennet and Avon Canal, fully open by 1810, passes close to the centre of the town. The town gained a [[Devizes railway station|railway station]] in 1857 but the line was closed in 1966.

[[File:Former Assize Court, Devizes - geograph.org.uk - 2279961.jpg|thumb|[[Devizes Assize Court]], future home of the [[Wiltshire Museum]]]]
In 1853 the [[Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society]] was founded in the town, and later opened a museum in Long Street. Now called the [[Wiltshire Museum]],<ref>https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/ Museum website</ref> its collections are designated as being of national significance. The museum has extensive [[Bronze Age Britain|Bronze Age]] collections and includes finds from the [[Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site]], including [[West Kennet Long Barrow]], [[Marden Henge]] and [[Bush Barrow]]. There are plans to move the museum into the Grade II* listed former [[Devizes Assize Court]], northwest of the town centre, where facilities for community events will also be provided.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Assizes for Devizes: Unlocking Wiltshire's Stories |url=https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/assizes/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Wiltshire Museum |language=en-GB}}</ref>

There was a military presence in the town at [[Le Marchant Barracks]], from 1878 until the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/le_marchant_barracks_devizes-_1939-1945.html|title=Le Marchant Barracks|publisher=Devizes Heritage|access-date=27 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528023606/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/le_marchant_barracks_devizes-_1939-1945.html|archive-date=28 May 2014}}</ref>

In 1999, a [[hill figure]] of a white horse was cut onto a hill close to [[Roundway Hill]]. Known as the [[Devizes White Horse]], it replaced an earlier one which was cut in 1845.

In 2014, the town celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Market Cross, marked by [[Viscount Sidmouth]] and his cousin, [[High Sheriff of Wiltshire]] Peter Addington.<ref>{{cite news|title=Second time for Devizes cross|url=http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/11438739.Second_time_for_Devizes_cross/?ref=var_0|work=Gazette & Herald}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2017}}
Devizes lies about {{convert|90|miles}} west-southwest of [[Central London]], almost 2° west of the [[Greenwich Meridian]], with the two-degree line running through the western edge of the town, just a few hundred yards west of the castle. As this is the centre of the east–west extent of the [[Ordnance Survey]] mapping grid, [[True North]] and [[Grid north]] align exactly in Devizes.

Towns close to Devizes include [[Melksham]], [[Pewsey]], [[Calne]] and [[Westbury, Wiltshire|Westbury]].

Suburbs of the town include Hartmoor, Jump Farm, Northgate, Nursteed, [[Roundway]], Southbroom and [[Wick, Devizes|Wick]].

==Governance==
[[File:Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 945900.jpg|thumb|[[Devizes Town Hall]]]]
Devizes is a [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] with an elected [[town council]]. {{As of|2024}}, 11 councillors are [[Devizes Guardians]], 7 [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], 1 [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] and 2 Independent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Your Councillors |url=https://www.devizes-tc.gov.uk/your-councillors/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Devizes Town Council |language=en-GB}}</ref> The parish includes the small settlement of '''Dunkirk''', on the northeastern slopes of the hill, which was transferred from [[Rowde]] parish in 1835.<ref name="vch">{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 10 pp225-252 – The borough of Devizes: Town, castle and estates|editor-first=Elizabeth|editor-last=Crittall|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol10/pp225-252|publisher=University of London|access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> Much of the built-up area of the town, to the north, east, and south, is within the neighbouring civil parish of [[Roundway]], while a smaller part is in [[Bishops Cannings]] parish, and each of those has its own parish council. In April 2017, Roundway and Devizes elected for the first time a joint parish council; at the same time, adjustments to the boundary with Bishops Canning were made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14833838.Two_become_one_in_council_merger/|title=Two become one in council merger|last=Moore|first=Joanne|date=31 October 2016|website=The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald|access-date=10 December 2016}}</ref>

The town is within the area of the [[Wiltshire Council]] [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]], on which the four elected members for Devizes are [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Your Councillors |url=https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Wiltshire Council |language=en}}</ref> Most significant [[local government]] services are the responsibility of Wiltshire Council, while the town and parish councils have a more consultative role. Before the [[Local Government Act 1972|Local Government Act]] took effect in 1974, Devizes was a [[municipal borough]] with its headquarters at [[Devizes Town Hall]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall|num=1262331|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> It then became the administrative centre for the much larger [[Kennet (district)|District of Kennet]], until that was abolished as part of the [[2009 structural changes to local government in England|2009 structural changes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/s148176/Council_Size_Submission_Mar_18.pdf|title=Electoral Review|date=1 March 2018|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=26 June 2021|archive-date=29 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629202914/https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/s148176/Council_Size_Submission_Mar_18.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The town has four [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral wards]]. The North and East wards follow the boundaries of the civil parish, while Devizes and Roundway South ward extends southward to include part of the original Roundway parish, the remainder of which makes up the fourth ward, Roundway. The total population of these wards at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] was 12,491<ref>{{cite web|title=Three Devizes wards – 2011 Census|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&r=1&i=1001&m=0&enc=1&areaSearchText=devizes&areaSearchType=14&extendedList=true&searchAreas=|website=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> but in 2017 with the addition of Roundway as the fourth ward, the population grew to over 17,700.

Devizes is part of the [[Melksham and Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)|Melksham and Devizes]] Westminster constituency, created following boundary changes and first contested at the 2024 general election, when it was won by [[Brian Mathew (politician)|Brian Mathew]] for the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 July 2024 |title=Melksham and Devizes – General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001356 |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The council has [[Sister city|twinning associations]] with [[Mayenne (commune)|Mayenne]] in France, [[Oamaru]] in New Zealand, [[Tornio]] in Finland, and [[Waiblingen]] in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.devizes-tc.gov.uk/civic-life/twinning?highlight=WyJ0d2luIiwidHdpbm5pbmciLCJ0d2lubmVkIl0=|title=Twinning|work=devizes-tc.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.devizes-twinning.org.uk|work=devizes-twinning.org.uk|title=Welcome to the Devizes and District Twinning Association Website}}</ref>

==Economy==
Devizes has always been a market town and the market square is still used for that purpose every Thursday, and for farmers' markets on the first Saturday of each month.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Welcome|url=https://www.devizesmarkets.org.uk/|access-date=19 September 2020|website=Devizes Shambles & Outdoor Markets|language=en-GB}}</ref> Indoor traders set up each day in the historic Shambles, off the market square.<ref name=":0" />

There are over 70 independent retailers in the town centre,{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}} many around the Market Place, Little Brittox and Brittox (both pedestrianised), and in Sidmouth Street. At the town's wharf on the canal, the [[Kennet and Avon Canal Trust]] has a small museum and cafe.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Attractions|url=https://katrust.org.uk/attractions/|access-date=19 September 2020|website=Kennet and Avon Canal Trust|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Construction of the new Devizes Health Centre, a {{cvt|1588|sqm}}, two-storey building, began in 2021.  This will replace the services at Devizes Community Hospital and provide a range of outpatient and GP services.<ref>{{cite news |title=Work starts on integrated health centre in Wiltshire |url=https://www.buildingbetterhealthcare.com/news/article_page/Work_starts_on_integrated_health_centre_in_Wiltshire/177534/cn164706 |access-date=3 September 2021 |publisher=Building Better Healthcare |date=1 July 2021}}</ref>

== Culture ==
There is a lively arts and culture community in the town, with the Arts Council funded Devizes International Street Festival attracting thousands to the town for two weeks leading up to August Bank Holiday each year, beginning with a long-standing "confetti battle" where, at a given signal – usually cannons firing confetti hundreds of metres into the air – the public are invited into the Market Place to throw as much confetti as possible at one another.<ref>{{Cite web|title=International Street Festival|url=https://www.docadevizes.org.uk/street-festival/|access-date=19 September 2020|website=Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts|date=31 March 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The annual Devizes Arts Festival has a broad spectrum of musical events, poets and authors, literary talks, comedians and other performers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Devizes Arts Festival|url=https://www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk/|access-date=19 September 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> Each autumn, the Devizes Food and Drink Festival includes opportunities to dine in unusual places.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Devizes Food and Drink Festival|url=https://www.devizesfoodanddrinkfestival.info/|access-date=19 September 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref>

There is an active thespian community that performs at the Wharf Theatre, a former warehouse alongside canal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wharf Theatre Devizes|url=https://www.wharftheatre.co.uk/|access-date=19 September 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Media ==
The local radio station is Fantasy Radio, a community radio station that broadcasts on 97 FM.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fantasyradio.co.uk/about/ | title=Fantasy Radio for Devizes }}</ref>

The ''[[Gazette and Herald]]'' is the town's local weekly newspaper.

==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>

==Education==
[[Devizes School]], a secondary school with a sixth form, takes pupils from the town and surrounding area. It is situated in the grounds of the [[Southbroom House]] estate and the [[listed building#Categories of listed building|Grade II listed]] house forms its administrative core.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Downland School is a Community Special School for boys aged 11–16.<ref>{{cite web|title=Downland School|website=EduBase|publisher=Department for Education|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/establishmentdetails.xhtml?urn=126550|access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> Braeside is an outdoor education centre run by Wiltshire Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rightchoice.wiltshire.gov.uk/Services/4016|title=Braeside Education & Conference Centre|website=Wiltshire Council: Right Choice|access-date=10 December 2018}}</ref>

Devizes has six primary schools: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Southbroom St James Academy, Southbroom Infants' School, Wansdyke Community School, Nursteed Community Primary School and The Trinity CofE (VA) Primary School. Nearby is Rowde CofE Primary Academy in the adjacent village of [[Rowde]].

Long Street has had a number of private schools,<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/private_school_41_long_street_devizes.html Devizes Heritage: Private Schools at 41 Long Street Devizes] – now the home of the [[Wiltshire Heritage Museum]]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009083923/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/private_school_41_long_street_devizes.html |date=9 October 2011 }}</ref> beginning in the 18th century and proliferating in the 19th. [[Brownston House]], a Grade I listed building, was the home of Miss Bidwell's Ladies Boarding School from 1859 to 1901.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/bidwell_ladies_school.html Devizes Heritage: Bidwell Ladies School] {{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A private Devizes Grammar School was established in Heathcote House in 1874 by the Reverend S.S. Pugh and carried on until 1919 by his twin sons.<ref>[http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/devizes_grammar_school.html Devizes Heritage: Devizes Grammar school] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009083530/http://www.devizesheritage.org.uk/devizes_grammar_school.html |date=9 October 2011 }}</ref>

The closest third-level institution is the [[University of Bath]].

== Religious sites ==
[[File:St John's church, Devizes - geograph.org.uk - 409791.jpg|thumb|St John's Church]]
[[File:St Marys church, Devizes (geograph 3215952).jpg|thumb|St Mary's Church]]
Devizes has four [[Church of England]] [[parish church]]es, and has had nonconformist congregations since the 17th century.<ref name="vch-relig" />

=== Church of England ===
The two 12th-century churches, St. John's and St. Mary's, are Grade I listed buildings. They serve the parish of St. John with St. Mary which has always had one rector.<ref name="vch-relig" />

<!-- Church of St John the Baptist, Devizes redirects here -->
St. John's stands close to [[Devizes Castle]] and may have begun as its chapel. The oldest parts of the building are from 1130, shortly after [[Roger, Bishop of Salisbury]] rebuilt the castle.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Church of St. John the Baptist, Devizes|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/451|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref> Pevsner writes "A major Norman church, dominated by a mighty crossing tower ...".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link1=Nikolaus Pevsner |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget (revision) |year=1975 |orig-year=1963 |title=Wiltshire |series=[[Pevsner Architectural Guides#Buildings of England|The Buildings of England]] |edition=2nd |place=Harmondsworth |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=0-14-0710-26-4 |pages=205–6}}</ref> The western part of the church was rebuilt in the 15th century. [[Victorian restoration|restoration]] was carried out in 1844 and 1862–3, including the west front designed by [[William Slater (architect)|Slater]]. The ornate Beauchamp south chapel is similar to the 1492 Beauchamp and Tocotes chapel at [[Bromham, Wiltshire|Bromham]]; the north Lamb chapel has a fine panelled ceiling. The organ case is late 17th century.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1262359|desc=Church of St John the Baptist|access-date=2 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

<!-- Church of St Mary, Devizes redirects here -->
St. Mary's was built in the 12th century to serve the town outside the castle walls. Only the chancel survives, the rest being rebuilt in the 15th century, including the fine west tower. The east window is from 1852, and there was restoration in 1854 ([[Richard Carpenter (architect)|Carpenter]] and Slater) and 1875–6. Since c. 2010, St. Mary's Parochial Church Council have been exploring conversion of the church into a performance and community venue.<ref>{{cite web|title=St. Mary Devizes Trust|url=http://www.stmarydevizestrust.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

[[File:St James Church in Devizes (geograph 1845713).jpg|thumb|The church of St. James]]
The church of St. James, Southbroom, stands on the edge of the green, next to the pond known as the Crammer. It was a [[chapelry]] of St Mary's, [[Bishops Cannings]] until 1832. The civil parish of Bishops Cannings extended as far as the church until 1835, when the boundaries of Devizes borough were expanded.<ref name="vch" /> St. James's is first recorded in 1461. The tower is 15th-century while the body of the church was rebuilt in 1831–2; the east window is by [[William Wailes|Wailes]]. After completion of the [[Le Marchant Barracks]] in 1878, St. James's became the garrison church of the [[Wiltshire Regiment]].<ref name="vch-relig" /> The building is Grade II* listed<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1263715|desc=Church of St James|access-date=1 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> and underwent an internal re-ordering in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=History of St James|url=http://www.st-james-devizes.org.uk/index.php/history-of-st-james/history-of-st-james|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813214022/http://www.st-james-devizes.org.uk/index.php/history-of-st-james/history-of-st-james|archive-date=13 August 2015|website=St James' Church|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Today the church is [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] in style.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ST JAMES|url=https://www.stjamesdevizes.org/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-01|website=|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905085337/http://stjamesdevizes.org/ |archive-date=5 September 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:St. Peters Church, Devizes (geograph 5086124).jpg|thumb|St Peter's Church]]
St. Peter's Church, west of the town centre, was built in 1865–6 to designs of [[William Slater (architect)|Slater]] & [[Richard Carpenter (architect)|Carpenter]]; the south aisle was added in 1884.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1263777|desc=Church of St Peter|access-date=1 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> St Peter's is [[Anglo-Catholicism|Anglo-Catholic]], with episcopal oversight by the [[Bishop of Ebbsfleet]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Saint Peter's Church, Devizes|url=http://www.stpeters-devizes.org.uk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324070551/http://www.stpeters-devizes.org.uk/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=24 March 2008|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>

=== Other denominations ===
The Catholic church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was opened in 1865 and extended in 1909.<ref name="vch-relig" /> St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School is adjacent to the church.

Maryport Street [[Baptist]] Chapel, which was built in 1780 and extended in 1785, 1818, 1864 and 1922,<ref name="vch-relig" /> continues in use.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maryport Street Baptist Chapel|url=http://maryportstreetbaptist.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

Salem Chapel, New Park Street, was built in 1838 by a pastor and followers from Maryport Street, who had left because of divisions in the congregation.<ref name="vch-relig" /> They rejoined the parent body in 1895 and the building was used by the [[Open Brethren]], later by Devizes Christian Fellowship and (since the mid 1980s) Rock Community Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rock Community Church|url=http://www.rockcomchurch.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

The New Baptist Church was opened in 1852 during the pastorship of [[Charles Stanford (minister)|Charles Stanford]]. It replaced an adjacent [[English Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] chapel of 1791, which had been shared with disenchanted Baptist members from Maryport Street.<ref name="vch-relig" /> The church continues in use as Sheep Street Baptist Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sheep Street Baptist Church|url=http://sheepstreet.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

St. Andrew's Church, Long Street, was built as a [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|Methodist]] chapel in 1898, replacing an earlier chapel at New Park Street.<ref name="vch-relig" /> It is now a combined Methodist and [[United Reformed Church]].<ref>{{cite web|title=St Andrew's Church|url=http://www.standrewsdevizes.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

The old Methodist Chapel in New Park Street was then used by the Salvation Army for many years until it was demolished.  The Salvation Army then raised funds to build a hall on Station Road which opened in 1971; the Scout Hut on Southbroom Road was a temporary home in the late 1960s after the New Park Street hall was condemned. The Corps was closed in the 2010s, membership having dwindled from a peak in the 1970s, ending around one hundred years of association with Devizes.<ref>personal recollections of a fourth generation family member associated with the Corps</ref>

A chapel was built at Northgate Street in 1776, at first for [[Calvinistic Methodists|Calvinist Methodist]] worship, soon becoming [[Congregational Church in England|Congregationalists]]. The building was enlarged in 1790 and extended in Early English style in the mid-19th century, becoming known as St Mary's Congregational Church;<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1262633|desc=St Mary's Congregational Church|access-date=2 June 2016|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> from 1842 Devizes was the head of the Wiltshire and East Somerset Congregational Union.<ref name="vch-relig" /> The congregation joined St. Andrew's around 1987 and the building is now in residential use.<ref>{{cite web|website=Wiltshire Community History|title=Congregational Chapel, Devizes|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/463|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

[[Quaker]]s have a meeting room at Sussex Wharf, next to the canal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Devizes Local Quaker Meeting|url=http://www.devizesquakers.org.uk/|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

==Emergency services==
Devizes is policed by [[Wiltshire Police]], who have their headquarters on London Road in the town. Policing of Devizes was the responsibility of the City of Salisbury Police until Wiltshire Constabulary was founded in 1839 under the [[County Police Act 1839]]. It was the first county police force founded in the country, hence its motto 'Primus et Optimus – The First and The Best'. The force is one of the largest employers in the town.

The headquarters site also houses the [[Emergency Control Centre|emergency control centre]] for police services in the county, in a building opened in 2003 by the [[Wiltshire Emergency Services]] partnership as a centre for all three emergency services,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wiltshire/3265095.stm|title=Control centre opens after dispute|date=12 November 2003|work=BBC News: England|access-date=25 March 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref> but since 2013 used only by the police.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2014-09-17/wiltshire-polices-new-control-centre-opens-today/|title=Wiltshire Police's new control centre opens today|date=17 September 2014|website=ITV News|language=en|access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> The headquarters building has housed the office of the [[Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner]] since the creation of that post in 2012. [[Wiltshire Air Ambulance]] was based at the police headquarters site until 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://melkshamnews.com/2018/05/23/supporters-thanked-as-wiltshire-air-ambulance-moves-into-new-airbase/|title=Supporters thanked as Wiltshire Air Ambulance moves into new airbase|date=23 May 2018|website=Melksham Independent News|access-date=20 July 2018}}</ref>

Healthcare and ambulance response services in Devizes are provided by the [[National Health Service (England)|National Health Service]].  [[South Western Ambulance Service]] have an ambulance station in Devizes.

Fire and rescue services in Devizes are provided by [[Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service]], who have a fire station with a retained staff. They also have a training centre on the Hopton industrial estate.

==Sport==
Each year at Easter the {{convert|125|mi}} [[Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon]] is held on a course between Devizes and [[Westminster]] in London. First contested in 1948, the event was one of the first to be included on the international race calendar when [[Canoe racing#Marathon racing|marathon canoeing]] gained worldwide popularity in the 1960s.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The local [[association football]] (soccer) team is [[Devizes Town F.C.]] who play in the [[Western Football League|Western League]].

The local [[rugby union]] team is Devizes R.F.C.<ref>[http://saddlebacks.intheteam.com/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=452 Devizes R.F.C.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324190518/http://saddlebacks.intheteam.com/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=452 |date=24 March 2008 }}</ref> founded in 1876, known as the 'Saddlebacks' (after the [[Wessex Saddleback]]), who play in the [[Regional 2 South Central]] League.

Devizes Cricket Club, founded in 1850, play in the Premier tier of the [[West of England Premier League]]. The ladies team was founded in 2013.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Devizes Hockey Club plays in the Premier 1 Hockey League.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.woeswhockey.com/ |title=Premier 1 Hockey League |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012173032/http://www.woeswhockey.com/ |archive-date=12 October 2017 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

==Notable people==

*[[Harold Walter Bailey|Sir Harold Walter Bailey]] (1899–1996), eminent scholar of Khotanese, Sanskrit and the comparative study of Iranian languages
*[[James Bittner]] (born 1982), professional footballer, played for [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]
*[[David Domoney]] (born 1963), Chartered Horticulturalist and television gardener, co-presenter of ''[[Love Your Garden]]''
*[[Fanny Duberly]] (1829–1902), soldier's wife who accompanied her husband during the [[Crimean War]] and the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Mutiny]]
*[[Paul Fletcher (politician)|Paul Fletcher]] (born 1965), member of the Australian Parliament, former Govt. Minister and, as of 2022, [[Manager of Opposition Business in the House (Australia)|Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives]], born at Devizes
*[[A. W. Lawrence]] (1900–1991), classical historian and brother of [[T. E. Lawrence]], lived in Devizes with fellow archaeologist [[Margaret Guido]] from 1986.
*[[Daphne Oram]] (1925–2003), composer<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |date=August 2011 |title=The Woman from New Atlantis |work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]}}</ref>
*[[Sir Thomas Lawrence]] (1769–1830), artist.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Lawrence, Sir Thomas |volume= 16 | page = 308 |short=1}}</ref>
*[[Simon May]] (born 1944), songwriter
*[[Richard of Devizes]] (fl. late 12th century), English chronicler.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Richard of Devizes |volume=23|last= Davis |first= Henry William Carless |author-link= Henry William Carless Davis |page=298|short=1}}</ref>
*[[Clive Robertson (actor)|Clive Robertson]] (born 1965), actor
*[[Andy Scott (guitarist)|Andy Scott]] (born. 1949), lead guitarist of the band [[The Sweet|Sweet]]
*[[William Heath Strange]] (1837–1907), physician and founder of Hampstead General Hospital, now the [[Royal Free Hospital]]
*[[William Henry Thomas Sylvester|William Sylvester]] (1831–1920), recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Devizes |volume= 8 |pages=123-124 |short=1}}
*[https://www.devizes.org.uk/ Devizes] – for visitors and residents
*[https://www.devizes-tc.gov.uk/ Devizes Town Council]
*[https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/77 Devizes] at Wiltshire Community History

{{Devizes}}
{{Wiltshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Devizes| ]]
[[Category:Market towns in Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Towns in Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Kennet and Avon Canal]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 11th century]]