Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Devizes, Wiltshire

The market town of Devizes, despite its modest size, boasts over 500 listed edifices.

A visit should commence at the expansive, crescent-shaped Market Place, which continues to host an outdoor market on Thursdays.

Here, one can gaze up at Wadworth’s Victorian tower brewery and look down upon the Neoclassical town hall, which was completed in 1808. Notably, there are no modern structures among the Georgian townhouses, inns, and civic buildings surrounding this remarkable square.

Devizes possesses a layer of Medieval history waiting to be explored through a town trail, while Wiltshire’s rich legacy from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age periods is displayed at the county museum.

Transitioning into the industrial era, Devizes is located along the Kennet and Avon Canal, near the impressive flight of 29 locks at Caen Hill.

1. Wiltshire Museum

Founded in 1873, the Wiltshire Museum was established by the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, which continues to oversee the institution.

The museum occupies a Georgian former grammar school, with additional neighboring townhouses incorporated into its space.

Given the county’s prominence in Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age history, the museum’s prehistoric collections are worth the visit alone.

It showcases artifacts from Stonehenge and Avebury, alongside remarkable discoveries from Bush Barrow.

This early Bronze Age burial mound located within the Stonehenge complex was excavated in 1808, revealing a captivating gold lozenge, a gold belt buckle, and a copper dagger, all of which are on display.

Additionally, visitors can view Neolithic flint hand axes and more gold and amber dating back 4,000 years.

The primary exhibition provides a journey through Roman and Saxon eras, offering in-depth insights into the evolution of Devizes.

2. Caen Hill Locks

The Kennet and Avon Canal runs through Devizes, playing a significant role in the town’s development during the early 19th century.

Located just east of the town, one can find perhaps the most picturesque section of the canal, which surmounts a rise of 72 meters via a series of 29 locks.

These locks are grouped into three sections over a distance of two miles, rising into the town.

This engineering marvel was the design of the esteemed Scottish engineer John Rennie, and the flight represented the final segment of the canal to be completed before its inauguration in 1810. Following the Second World War, the locks experienced a decline, until a thoughtful restoration was undertaken from the 1960s to the 1990s.

A pump was constructed in 1996 at the base of the flight at Foxhangers, capable of raising seven tonnes of water to the top of the hill each day.

The Caen Hill Locks offer a pleasant and visually appealing walk west along the towpath from Devizes.

3. Wadworth Brewery

Established in 1875, Wadworth Brewery continues to be a prominent feature of the local economy, recognized nationally for its 6X amber ale.

The brewery operates numerous pubs throughout Wiltshire and the southern region of England, with many others serving their beer on tap.

In a charming tradition, the brewery employs shire horses to deliver barrels to local pubs within a five-mile radius of Devizes.

The current facility is a classic Victorian tower brewery, constructed in 1885, featuring an award-winning visitor center adjacent, which is open six days a week.

Visitors can enjoy a guided tour through the tower brewery, lasting more than two hours, and learn about the gravitational brewing method practiced across four floors.

One can also experience the cutting-edge 21st-century copper house.

The Harness Bar offers beer tasting and showcases a unique collection of hand-painted pub signs crafted in the brewery’s own studio.

4. Kennet and Avon Canal Museum

Before the establishment of Brunel’s Great Western Railway, the Kennet and Avon Canal served as the primary route for transporting coal and grain across Somerset, Wiltshire, and Berkshire.

The canal, inaugurated in 1810 and restored in the latter part of the 20th century, connects navigable sections of the Avon and Kennet, extending from Bristol to Reading, where it converges with the Thames.

Located in a historic bonded warehouse at Devizes Wharf, one can explore documents and photographs relating to the canal’s history, detailing its initial design, peak usage in the mid-1800s, decline following the construction of the railway, and subsequent revival in the 20th century.

Additionally, a former industrial building here houses the Wharf Theatre, which hosts musicals, touring musicians, comedians, and renowned speakers.

5. Roundway Hill

The prominent natural feature near Devizes is Roundway Hill, a chalk hill on the western slope of the North Wessex Downs.

As with many summits in the area, Roundway Hill displays numerous signs of prehistoric activity.

One can easily observe the unusual furrows in the wooded areas, which are Iron Age earthworks over 2,000 years old.

The Iron Age hill fort is known as Oliver’s Castle, named after the siege of Devizes by a Parliamentary force which was defeated by Royalist soldiers during the Civil War in 1643. Approximately 600 Parliamentarians perished at this location, and over 1,000 were captured.

In addition, several older Bronze Age round barrows are preserved as scheduled monuments.

Visitors can enjoy panoramic views to the south and east of Roundway Hill, taking in Devizes and the Vale of Pewsey.

6. Wansdyke

To the north of Devizes, one can access Morgan’s Hill and subsequently embark on the Wansdyke Path, following the eastern section of an enigmatic early Medieval earthwork.

This segment of Wansdyke, composed of a rampart and ditch, stretches eastward from Morgan’s Hill for roughly 10 miles through the Marlborough Downs to Savernake Forest.

The earthwork primarily traverses unspoiled chalk grassland and remains impressive, featuring a rampart up to four meters high and a ditch as deep as 2.5 meters.

Its purpose remains somewhat of a mystery; one theory posits that it was constructed by Romano-Britons to defend against West Saxon incursions into the upper Thames Valley in the 6th century, akin to a southern version of Hadrian’s Wall.

7. Hillworth Park

During 2018/19, Hillworth Park received a Green Flag Award, the recognized standard for UK parks, for the fifth consecutive year.

The park is located slightly away from the town center, as it was formerly the landscaped grounds of Hillworth House, which still stands to the north, prior to being sold to the council in 1945. A notable remnant from this time is the 18th-century Garden Pavilion, likely intended as a banqueting house within the grounds.

Additionally, there is a 19th-century Ha-Ha, designed to keep grazing animals from the house while retaining the views.

As a Green Flag park, it boasts numerous amenities, including a café open daily, an aviary, a new Park Centre building, tennis courts, a fenced playground for young children, a skate park, and a multi-use games area.

During the summer, check the calendar for occasional twilight movie screenings at Hillworth Park.

8. Church of St John the Baptist

Looking up Castle Road, one can discern Devizes Castle atop its Norman mound.

This building underwent a charming Victorian restoration and is privately owned; however, the Church of St John the Baptist, located off the High Street behind the Town Hall, maintains close associations with the original Medieval castle.

Established in the 12th century, it is believed to have originally functioned as the castle’s chapel and features numerous Norman Romanesque details from that period, including large round windows and decorative arches.

Such details can be observed in the crossing (east and west), sections of the transept, and the chancel, which boasts low rib vaulting, blind arcading adorned with zigzag patterns, and capitals intricately carved with foliate and scalloped designs.

Within the Beauchamp chapel on the chancel’s southern wall, one can admire the corbel table adorned with 12th-century grotesque heads.

9. Medieval Trail

At the Wiltshire Museum or the Kennet and Avon Canal Museum, visitors can obtain a leaflet for a walking tour around Devizes that highlights the town’s Medieval sites along with their associated narratives.

The route circles the former castle, the site where Stephen, King of England, laid siege during the Anarchy from 1139 to 1154. Participants will also discover the tale of the Earl of Kent, an adversary of King Henry III, who was dragged in chains from the Church of St John.

Ascending to the highest point of the original castle fortifications, one will find themselves on the site of the Medieval gallows.

Monday Market Street was where the town’s original Medieval market was situated, while New Park Street, reminiscent of a historic deer park, is home to St Mary’s Church, which features a pelican carved inside the main entrance.

Finally, near Northgate Street, visitors will approach the location of the town’s fortified northern entrance.

In 1141, Empress Matilda, Stephen’s opponent in the Anarchy, granted the townspeople exemption from tolls for their assistance in defending against the King.

10. Market Cross

Where the town’s Medieval market cross previously stood, this monument, designed by the renowned Gothic Revival architect James Wyatt, was erected in 1814. Elevated on six stone steps, the cross features four pointed arches beneath a delicately buttressed openwork steeple, topped by trefoil arches, pinnacles, and crockets.

The panels within the four lower arches depict the story of Ruth Pierce, who declared she would drop dead if she did not pay fair price for a sack of corn she had taken.

She made this declaration three times, subsequently collapsing, with the payment for the corn discovered in her hand.

11. Rowdey Cow Farm Cafe

Situated on a dairy farm offering splendid views of Roundway Hill, the Rowdey Cow Farm Café encompasses multiple functions.

Visitors can enjoy afternoon tea or a full meal, alongside an ice cream parlor featuring 16 flavors, all produced on-site.

As these offerings are homemade, they vary seasonally and daily.

There is ample outdoor seating, complemented by a play area for children.

Young visitors will also delight in interacting with the farm’s animals, including cows, sheep, goats, and miniature Shetland ponies.

12. Drews Pond Woods

Adjacent to new housing estates on the south side of town are two interconnected nature reserves.

The nearest, Drews Pond Woods, comprises a tract of coppiced broadleaf woodland, historically managed as a timber resource.

The woods are meticulously maintained, featuring well-kept paths devoid of litter.

Within the area, one can find a stream, pond, and designated picnic spots for warmer days.

Further south lies another reserve, Orchard and Old Cricket Field, situated on the grounds of the former Wiltshire County Lunatic Asylum (later known as Roundway Hospital), which opened in 1851 and closed in 1995. The historical structures have since been converted into private residences; nevertheless, an old Bramley apple orchard remains preserved, alongside a cricket pitch first noted in 1880. This habitat is frequently visited by green woodpeckers, long-tailed tits, nuthatches, and buzzards.

13. Kenavon Venture

Volunteers from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust operate this traditional narrowboat based at Devizes Wharf.

The Kenavon Venture offers public trips every Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday from early April until the end of October, with an extra departure on Thursdays during school holidays.

The cruise lasts just under two hours, traveling from the Caen Hill Locks through the picturesque gardens of the town before entering the tranquil countryside of the Vale of Pewsey.

Check the boat’s website for special cruises that may involve passages through locks, afternoon tea, quiz nights, live music, or pirate-themed events for younger guests.

14. Devizes White Horse

White Horses represent a Wiltshire tradition and serve as an emblem of the county, believed to date back to the Iron Age and revived in the 18th century.

They are formed by stripping away the layer of grass and soil to reveal the gleaming chalk beneath on the upper slopes of downs.

The Devizes White Horse is one of the more recent creations, having been cut in 1999 to mark the new millennium on the slope of Roundway Hill.

This represents the second white horse at Roundway Hill; the first, carved by local shoemakers in 1845, was obscured by grass by the 1920s, though its outline can still be discerned in the summer months.

The new horse measures 45.7 meters long and 45 meters high and has been incorporated into the 90-mile White Horse Trail, connecting Wiltshire’s eight hillside monuments.

15. Devizes Market

The expansive marketplace in Devizes serves as the principal venue for the town’s weekly market every Thursday.

This market has been a fixture since Empress Matilda granted a charter to Devizes in 1141. While it once hosted a livestock market for centuries until the late 20th century, today it offers a diverse range of products, including fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, fresh fish, hand-raised pies, bread, clothing, and home appliances.

Additionally, an indoor market located at the Shambles (the former slaughterhouse) operates five days a week, usually bustling with activity.

On the first Saturday morning of each month, visitors can procure produce directly from farmers, a worthwhile endeavor in an agriculturally rich county like Wiltshire.