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 The
origins of the town are lost in the mists of time. Some speculate
that it was founded by Dunwallo, a British king who ruled before
the Romans invaded the British Isles.
There is little doubt that the settlement existed in Roman times.
Roman finds have been recorded in the Southbroom area as far back
as the late 1600s, and 20 bronze statuettes and Roman coins were
found on The Green in 1714. Workmen digging the foundations for
Southbroom Junior School in 1960 uncovered a Romano-British cemetery,
with burials in lead and stone coffins.
The Saxons succeeded the Romans, but in the 11th century they were
in turn ousted by the Normans. It was at this time, around 1080,
that the first Devizes castle was built by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury.
For hundreds of years after, the castle was to be one of the main
landmarks of the area.
The castle is said to have been built on the boundary line between
the ancient manors of Bishop Cannings and Potterne. The Latin for
‘on the boundaries’ is ‘ad devisas’, hence
the town’s name Devizes.
Unfortunately the original wooden castle burnt down, but it was
rebuilt in stone in 1120 by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury. Roger was
evidently an accomplished castle builder, erecting others at Malmesbury,
Sherborne and Old Sarum as well as enlarging Salisbury cathedral
in his spare time. 
When Henry I, third son of William the Conqueror, died in the 12th
century Devizes witnessed the power struggle for the crown of England.
On one side was Matilda, daughter of Henry and rightful heir to
the throne. On the other stood Stephen the usurper, son of a French
count but raised by Henry. As Roger sided with Matilda, it was inevitable
that Devizes castle would figure prominently in the war that followed.
When Matilda eventually regained the crown, she granted the town
its first royal charter in 1141 as a mark of appreciation to the
burgesses of Devizes. The status of ‘borough’ conferred
by Matilda was to last for another 833 years, until the local government
reorganisation in 1974.
The castle remained the property of the Crown until the next major
upheaval - the English Civil War.
For a brief period during the Civil War, Devizes was once again
at the centre of historic events. Occupied by Royalist supporters
of Prince Charles, on July 10, 1643 the town was besieged by Parliamentary
forces under Sir William Waller.
Three days later, in the Battle of Roundway Down, Waller’s
army was routed by Royalists led by the Marquis of Hertford. You
can visit the old battleground on top of Roundway Hill, where there
are some breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. On the
way back, stop off at St. James’ church where you can still
see the scars of the bombardment on the walls.
The castle and town remained in Royalist hands under the military
governorship of Sir Charles Lloyd until finally, in September 1645,
Lt. General Cromwell arrived with a large Parliamentarian force
and heavy artillery. He invaded the town and laid siege to the castle,
which surrendered following a savage bombardment from the market
place.
The town had benefited from backing the winner in the 1100s, but
this time it had backed a loser and had to pay the price. In May
1646, as a result of the castle’s royalist associations, the
commons in parliament ordered it to be dismantled. 
Today, all that remains of the once splendid fortress is the original
mound, the outline of the moat, part of the keep and traces of the
foundations of the great hall. Standing on the site instead is a
Victorian building built by the Leach family and now divided into
privately-owned apartments. It is not open to the public.
Although Bishop Roger’s original castle has long since vanished,
its influence remains in the layout of the town’s streets.
The Brittox, now a shopping precinct, is believed to have been the
main approach to the castle, taking its name from the Bretesque,
a wooden stockade that flanked the way to the stronghold. Plundered
stone from the old castle can also be found in many buildings in
the surrounding area.
Between these momentous events lie hundreds of others, not as important
perhaps, but each contributing to our rich history. Here are just
a few…..
John Cray was appointed the first Mayor of Devizes in 1302.
Edward I spent his Easters at Devizes. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
visited in 1535; James I visited in 1613, 1618 and 1623; and King
Charles I issued a charter in 1625 granting Devizes its first Recorder.
Just as religion and man’s intolerance has laid at the heart
of so much conflict down the ages, religious controversy has dogged
Devizes throughout its history. John Bent, a tailor of Urchfont,
was burned to death in Devizes Market Place in 1523 for denying
transubstantiation (the belief that the bread and wine used in the
sacrament are converted into the body and blood of Christ). John
Maundrell of Rowde was burnt at Salisbury for Protestantism in 1557
and William Prior of Devizes was burnt at the stake in Salisbury
for following the heretical Lollard sect, which attacked the Church
for its worldliness and corruption.
In 1661 many townspeople were committed to prison for attending
Quakers’ meetings, and when Charles Wesley visited the town
in 1748 he was greeted by an angry mob. Fleeing along the Bath Road
he was badly mauled by two dogs, set on him by the locals.
These days we welcome everyone, but if you would like to discover
more about the history of Devizes, why not pay a visit to the town’s
museum?
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How to get to Devizes
