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Local Information
Devizes
The lovely old market town of Devizes has plenty of history and is a little over a mile from us. St Mary's and St John's churches both date back to the 12th Century, retaining many original features. We have our own brewery, Wadworth, who still deliver beer locally on a brewer's dray drawn by shire horses. Brewery tours are well worth booking. On Good Friday every year the Devizes to Westminster canoe race starts from Devizes Wharf. This starting point avoids the famous Caen Hill flight of 29 locks.
There is a Visitor Centre, the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, the Wharf Canal Museum and Wadworth's Visitor Centre along with many historic buildings, shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants. On the edge of the town is The Crammer (a large pond) and The Green.
Just north of the town, a short walk from our property, is Roundway Hill where the Battle of Roundway was fought in 1643. There is a waymarked walking route around the site of the battle. Here too is Oliver's Castle, an ancient hillfort, and Roundway Hill Covert, a 68 acre broadleaf woodland. It is on Roundway Hill that you will find the most recent of Wiltshire's White Horses, cut to celebrate the Millennium. The views from the hill are magnificent and reach for many miles. You never know, you might even get to see a crop circle nearby, as we did in the summer of 2010.
You can hire a cycle, kayak, canoe or narrowboat if you’d like to see the area from a different perspective. See here for more information.
For a really comprehensive guide to Devizes and the surrounding area, I can recommend the Devizes Heritage website. It’s absolutely fascinating.
Local historian, writer & blacksmith, John Girvan, offers heritage & ghost tours of the town. See here for his website.
Other places of interest
We are well situated for many interesting towns, villages and other sightseeing opportunities such as National Trust and privately owned historic houses. Avebury, Marlborough, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath & Swindon are all within easy reach.
Bath
A fascinating city and within easy reach of us. With its theatres, architecture, shops, museums, parks and restaurants, Bath could keep you busy for several days.
Salisbury
Combine Stonehenge and Salisbury for a great day out. Town and country walks, ancient monuments, theatres, old buildings, museums etc can all be found, along with excellent shopping and dining.
Bradford-on-Avon
This is a lovely old town not far from Bath. It has a lovely old bridge spanning the River Avon and many interesting old buildings. It also has a wonderful tea shop and walks through the Barton Farm Country Park to Avoncliff. The old Tithe Barn has recently been restored and the granary and old cow byres now house craft shops, galleries and tea rooms
Lacock
Lacock is a very pretty National Trust village, just a short drive away and again, perfect walking country. There is an Abbey (featured in some Harry Potter films) and the Fox Talbot Museum, a pottery, some individual shops and numerous pubs. Lacock is often used for filming period dramas, notably Cranford.
Marlborough
Like Devizes, Marlborough is a lively market town with a vast array of shops, restaurants and pubs. Marlborough College is right in town and each year plays host to a Summer School with a vast array of subjects from which to choose. With Prince William’s future bride being an alumni of the College, there is bound to be increased interest in the town in 2011. With the Savernake Forest just a few minutes away, it’s easy to escape the crowds. The start/end point of the Wessex Ridgeway is here and it’s also on the White Horse Trail, so is a good place to walk.
Swindon
Swindon’s STEAM Museum is extremely popular and is a great place to go when the weather isn’t so good. It’s right next door to the McArthur Glen Great Western Designer Outlet so a great place to go to shop for bargains. The Town Gardens are also worth a visit.