Home Page Skip Navigation

Devizes Town Trails

Devizes Medieval Town Trail

If arriving by car, park at Station Road car park and walk to the Market Place.

Devizes Market Place (image owned by Kennet District Council)Begin the medieval town tour at the Devizes Visitor Centre in the heart of the Market Place. The Devizes Visitor Centre has been given a medieval theme and is home to a gift shop, TIC and an interactive exhibition charting the history of the town with an emphasis on its medieval origins.

From the visitor centre pick up the medieval town trail leaflet, available free of charge, and begin the trail from the Market Square. The trail is lively and informative, taking you around the exceptionally well preserved medieval street plan of the town and highlighting Devizes role in the 12th century civil war. The trail takes in the site of a Norman Castle (said to have been the finest castle in Europe), Gallows Green, the North and South Gate entrances to the town and the early Market Square.

Wiltshire Heritage Museum (image ownd by Kennet District Council)To finish your medieval experience in Devizes visit the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Long Street where a new Medieval Gallery houses some fascinating artefacts from medieval times.


Markets and Shopping in Devizes

Since the 12th century Devizes has held a bustling market, and market day in Devizes is a time when the town really comes to life. The main weekly market is on a Thursday when stalls fill the grand Market Square and the Shambles, as well as an indoor market hall. A popular flea market is also held every Thursday in the Corn Exchange and a smaller market in the Shambles on a Saturday. More specialised markets include the Tuesday antiques market in the Shambles and an antiques market in the Corn Exchange on the last Sunday of each month.

To begin your trip, park in Station Road and walk into the Market Square. Call in at the Devizes Visitor Centre on the opposite side of the square. Here you will be able to pick up a map to guide you on your journey through the town.

Quaint courtyards and alleyways, crafts and specialist shops are a characteristic of the town, so leave the Visitor Centre and turn left looking out on your left hand side for the Ginnel.

Leave the Ginnel and continue around the Market Square to the Little Brittox then turn left into the Brittox, the main shopping street. Return to the Ginnel and, halfway up, look out on the right for Old Swan Yard.

From Old Swan Yard continue through to the High Street and St John's Street, a cobbled street with 15th century timber framed buildings and home to a notable hat shop. Alternatively return to the Brittox and continue to the end of the street. To finish off, turn right into Maryport Street which leads into Sidmouth Street, two other main shopping streets in the town.