Devizes Travel Guide

 
by view.finder
 
  •   Devizes
    by view.finder
  • Caen Hill Locks
      Caen Hill Locks
    by view.finder
  • Market square, huge enough for all the beasts!
      Market square, huge enough for all the...
    by leics
  • Dates
      Dates
    by leics
  • Much older...1400s?
      Much older...1400s?
    by leics
 

Pro

birchy99 profile photo

 Very Interesting place. 


Con

birchy99 profile photo

 They could manage the rain showers better!!! 


In a nutshell

birchy99 profile photo

 Love to come back. 

 

Explore Devizes

Things to Do  

Caen Hill Locks

Caen Hill Locks, Devizes

 view.finder Says:  This is a great spot for tourists and local visitors alike. It combines a riverside walk with a truly remarkable feat of British engineering; the placement of 29 locks, literally on top of one another, in two miles. There are few sites like this in the country and it makes... 

The Kennet & Avon Canal Museum

The Kennet & Avon Canal Museum, Devizes

 birchy99 Says:  For sure you must take some time and step into the little museum that celebrates the glorious Canal Period of the Industrial Revolution. Here you can learn the history, the engineering, the fun and how to vacation on a narrowboat. Modelers, this is heaven for you as all... 

St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist, Devizes

 leics Says:  I hope the church is open when you visit....unfortunately, it wasn't open when I went.Which is a pity, as it is a very ancient church indeed. Just walking around its exterior made that very clear.Originally built in 1130, the nave rebuilt and chapels added in the... 

Visit Wadworth's Brewery

Visit Wadworth's Brewery, Devizes

 leics Says:  Wadworth's beer is sold all over south-west England, but its brewery visitor centre is in Devizes.And it still delivers its beer around the town by horse-drawn carts...a lovely sight. :-)Brewery tours run twice-daily through the working week, and on summer Sundays. It's... 

Visit the Wiltshire Heritage Museum

Visit the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes

 leics Says:  It's a fascinating place, stuffed with prehistoric artefacts including some from Avebury and Stonehenge.I visited years ago, when it was a crowded and somewhat muddled place, with labels in copperplate writing.still absolutely fascinating.It's been renovated and... 

Look at the architecture....

Look at the architecture...., Devizes

 leics Says:  Devizes has some prime examples of Georgian architecture, especially around the market square. See if you can spot the 'assembly rooms', where all the young ladies and gentlemen would attend regular balls (especially during the regency period...Jane Austen?). It was perhaps... 

The Canal

The Canal, Devizes

 andrewyong Says:  Kennet & Avon CanalTake a stroll around town and you will come by a sign that points toward the Wharf. What it is is the canal. You will find boats morroed by the side with white mute swans wading in the water and dogs playing on the banks in the day. 

The Caen Hill Flight

The Caen Hill Flight, Devizes

 birchy99 Says:  Just outside Devizes, to the west, I believe, is a flight of 29 locks on the Avon and Kennett Canal. That is 29 locks in two miles that must be navigated to reach the summit at Devizes. Our friends knew of my fascination of the canals and the narrowboats so they surprised me... 

Drool Outside the Bake Shop Window.

Drool Outside the Bake Shop Window., Devizes

 birchy99 Says:  I love little bake shops as much as I do butcher shops. Probably even more. Just look at the variety of things you can purchase....pasties, sausage rolls, lardy rolls (wonder what that is), buns, breads, baguettes, etc. A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. 

Hotels  

The Castle Hotel

 45 Opinions

The Bear Hotel Market Place

 1 Review and 74 Opinions  Now living in N America, its nice to go back in time to a hotel which is more than five years old !... 

Hotels  

The Gables: Nearby the canal

The Gables: Nearby the canal, Devizes

 tzuki Says:  The stay was perfect as the B&B owners gave us a proper welcoming and make us feel very comfy. They recommended us some places to go for dinner and around so we took our chance with no regrets. The B&B is sited in the main road so not difficult to find it. Has all the... 

Court Hill Farm: Wiltshire's best kept secret

Court Hill Farm: Wiltshire's best kept secret, Devizes

 eminsing Says:  Since i stay here every time i go home then I am not qualified to give an unbiased opinion! However I will say that if like the idea of staying in someones extreamly welcoming home then you will not be disapointed! there are always colourful characters dropping in to see... 

Sign of the Angel hotel: Hidden treasure

Sign of the Angel hotel: Hidden treasure, Devizes

 eminsing Says:  I stayed here for two nights in 2003. The hotel staff were lovely and looked after us very well. Our room was in a cottage at the back of the garden, to reach it you walked over a tiny bridge under which was a stream full of ducks and geease. The hotel is a 3* so expect to... 

Restaurants  

Bambou: My advice is forget it !

Bambou: My advice is forget it !, Devizes

 barnesparty Says:  We did not get the chance to review the food as our party of six got up and left. After sitting at our table for half an hour without a menu my partner got up to get some. Then the owner who came to take our order was asked if the phone would ring constant all evening and he... 

The Quarryman's Arms: WHO SAYS THE BRITS CAN'T COOK???

The Quarryman's Arms: WHO SAYS THE BRITS CAN'T COOK???, Devizes

 birchy99 Says:  Enough with the snide comments about chips and peas and mash, of which I'm a wee bit guilty of pervaying. We found this pub, restaurant, B&B a few miles outside Devizes toward Bath just off the A4. One couldn't imagine such a nice establishment would be at the end of the... 

Black Swan Hotel: Sunday Roast

Black Swan Hotel: Sunday Roast, Devizes

 andrewyong Says:  The Black Swan is a small hotel with the pub and restaurant occupying the majority of the building. It fronts the town square so its quite prominent, you will not miss it. Perenially English is the Sunday Roast (beef, lamb or pork) and after visiting Stonhenge, we drove to... 

The Bear: An Old Inn

The Bear: An Old Inn, Devizes

 birchy99 Says:  Across the square one can't help but notice the huge sign of the bear on a large building. This is "The Bear" Inn and restaurant. I don't think it qualifies as a pub. It has been established as an Inn since 1599. On my way to the loo I encountered a gent who waylayed me and... 

Shopping  

The Local Butcher Shop: Hurry Before They Are All Gone
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

birchy99 182 reviews
The Meat Section
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I'm always charmed when I come upon an old fashioned butcher shop. Although it seems to me they are around every corner in the UK, I've been told by more than one butcher that they are dinosaurs marching to extinction at the behest of the supermarkets and young people who appreciate "one-stop" shopping.
This shop was located in an indoor market place (flea market) in downtown Devizes. The butcher was most charming and willing to chat for a bit. I always marvel at the multitude of offerings found in these shops. Not only did this butcher have meat, he had a whole cabinet of cheeses. What wonderful window shopping!!

What to buy: Meats, puddings, cheeses. Just about anything that would please a Brit's palate will be found here. But hurry, it may be gone someday.

What to pay: Haven't any idea of the market values.

Written Jan 4, 2006

Address: Off the main square in Devizes

Related to:
 Food and Dining

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