Devizes: Locks, Brewing History and Culture

Devizes offers several specific starting points for a trip: the locks at Caen Hill, a circular walk to Roundway Hill, the Wiltshire Museum, Wadworth, the Wharf Theatre and the Devizes Food and Drink Festival. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether waterways and scenery, local history, brewing culture or a culinary event should take priority.

Locks and a circular walk

The Caen Hill flight comprises a total of 29 locks. Over two miles, it overcomes a difference in elevation of 237 feet, with a gradient of 1:44. Taken together, the distance, difference in elevation and gradient convey the scale of the structure. The 16 locks at Caen Hill form the steepest part of the Devizes flight and are designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The 29 locks describe the Caen Hill flight as a whole, while the 16 identify the steepest part of the Devizes flight. Anyone interested in canal engineering will find both specific measurements and a formal historical designation here.

A different perspective is offered by the circular walk from Devizes to Roundway Hill, which passes along sections of the Kennet-&-Avon Canal. Unlike the details about the lock system, this describes a route with a circular course and a named destination. If, when planning your trip, you would rather focus on a walking route than on a single structure, you can consider this option separately. The flight of locks and the circular walk therefore appeal to different interests: one highlights the dimensions of a waterway, the other a loop from Devizes to Roundway Hill.

Brewing history, culture and food

The Wiltshire Museum has been based in Devizes since 1874; Wadworth was founded in the town in 1875. The dates are only a year apart, but refer to different things: for the museum, its location in Devizes; for Wadworth, the founding of the brewery. These two dates, so close together, therefore represent different historical points of reference.

Wadworth brewery tours take place at the Folly Road Brewhouse in Devizes. Tastings include six Wadworth Traditional Ales as well as Folly Road Craft Beers; the selection may change. Booking details may also change, so it is advisable to check them in advance. Anyone interested in brewing history can thus connect Wadworth’s founding in Devizes with a specific visitor experience.

The Wharf Theatre is just a few minutes from the town centre. The Devizes Food and Drink Festival is an event organised by volunteers, offering special culinary experiences in Devizes. If you would like to include the festival in your plans, check the event dates and programme before travelling. The two options also differ in practical terms: the theatre centres on a named cultural venue, while the festival’s specific dates are key.

Find hotels in Devizes to suit your reason for travelling

Caen Hill, the circular walk and the Wiltshire Museum offer different focuses; for a brewery tour, take the booking details and tasting selection into account, and for the festival, check the dates. Decide which of these themes will be most important during your stay, then compare the details of the individual hotel offers in Devizes.

Discover more destinations: Froxfield, Crudwell, Beanacre, Collingbourne Kingston, Warminster, Stanton Saint Quintin, Temple, Ashton Keynes

For the wider travel overview: Wiltshire.