Saturday, October 21, 2006
DEVIZES in WILTSHIRE
Two weeks ago we spent the morning in Devizes. Devizes is the nearest town to Market Lavington, home of Roger and Sue.
Bill and I have been visiting Devizes now for 35 years so it begins to feel like part of our world.
Devizes is a lovely town, not quaint, but having a lovely mix of of things to do, things to see and intersting architecture. It is a small market town in north Wiltshire, probably best known for the Kennet and Avon Canal's Caen Hill flight of 29 locks (picture lower down the page), which rise 237 feet in 2½ miles. Or maybe because it has one of the best breweries in the country, or even because it is such a good name for limericks!
The brewery is Wadworths and their most famous beer is Wadworths 6X. When we first used to visit Devizes barrels of beer were hauled round the town on carts pulled by handsome shire horses. I don't think that happens now, except perhaps on special occasions.
The limerick verses can raise a chuckle - but fear not I am not going to print one! Suffice it to say that the second line has to end with a rhyme for Devizes and "sizes" fits the bill admirably. The limerick talks of a gentleman who has 2 parts of his anatomy of different sizes - and we don't mean ears! The largest of the 2 wins magnificent prizes, thus providing the last line of the limerick with a rhyme for Devizes.
I am sure you can fill in the missing bits in between.
But on our last visit we were not thinking of canals, beer or poetry.
We just wanted a gentle stroll in the town and a browse through the delights (or otherwise) of the charity shops and the antiques centre.
I found a few booklets about interesting places in a charity shop that I hope an EBay customer will want one day.
There were 2 charity shops in this pedestrianised street known as The Brittox (above). I am sure Sue can remind me of the derivation of this unusual street name for she is good on such things - and remembers what she has learned.
The shops are mostly similar to those in any town, but generally a bit smaller than in the big cities. There are no big department stores.
If you look along the many turnings off the main street you can find alleyways and lovely old buildings.
In the centre of the town is the market place. Normally we try to find a space to park in the market place, though not on a Thursday because that is the day the market sets up.
There are 2 monuments in the market place.
This picture above was taken by Roger whilst Bill and I were busy in the antiques shop.
Across the market place you can see The Bear Hotel and to its right is the town hall. We have been there for antiques fairs some times.
The antiques shop in Devizes is a lot of fun. It is called Upstairs Downstairs and there are a lot of stairs leading up three floors and down to the cellar. The old house is divided into many rooms and each room is rented by a different dealer.
It is a place to spend many hours in if you want to see everything.
I found that the prices were very reasonable mostly, meaning that things were priced much as I would price them.
Bill and I came out with an odd collection of things. There is a slipper box - a box covered in brass with the word SLIPPERS embossed on it, a n old tin of dried yeast, a dollies picnic set and a few other bits. I have still got to sort most of it out.
We didn't go to the canal on our last visit. The Kennet and Avon canal runs through the town in an area known as the wharf. This area has been smartened in recent years with a number of small specialist shops. On the May Day bank holiday it is the centre of activities for The Lions fun day.
The picture shows the canal just outside Devizes. Devizes is on high ground and for the barges on the canal to get into town they have to negotiate a massive series of 29 locks. The short distance can take half a day.
I hope you have enjoyed a brief look at Devizes with me.
Bill and I returned the next day to a sort of boot sale in The Shambles - now I know that quaint old name has to do with butchery and slaughtering, so not so quaint really.
Bill and I have been visiting Devizes now for 35 years so it begins to feel like part of our world.
Devizes is a lovely town, not quaint, but having a lovely mix of of things to do, things to see and intersting architecture. It is a small market town in north Wiltshire, probably best known for the Kennet and Avon Canal's Caen Hill flight of 29 locks (picture lower down the page), which rise 237 feet in 2½ miles. Or maybe because it has one of the best breweries in the country, or even because it is such a good name for limericks!
The brewery is Wadworths and their most famous beer is Wadworths 6X. When we first used to visit Devizes barrels of beer were hauled round the town on carts pulled by handsome shire horses. I don't think that happens now, except perhaps on special occasions.
The limerick verses can raise a chuckle - but fear not I am not going to print one! Suffice it to say that the second line has to end with a rhyme for Devizes and "sizes" fits the bill admirably. The limerick talks of a gentleman who has 2 parts of his anatomy of different sizes - and we don't mean ears! The largest of the 2 wins magnificent prizes, thus providing the last line of the limerick with a rhyme for Devizes.
I am sure you can fill in the missing bits in between.
But on our last visit we were not thinking of canals, beer or poetry.
We just wanted a gentle stroll in the town and a browse through the delights (or otherwise) of the charity shops and the antiques centre.
I found a few booklets about interesting places in a charity shop that I hope an EBay customer will want one day.
There were 2 charity shops in this pedestrianised street known as The Brittox (above). I am sure Sue can remind me of the derivation of this unusual street name for she is good on such things - and remembers what she has learned.
The shops are mostly similar to those in any town, but generally a bit smaller than in the big cities. There are no big department stores.
If you look along the many turnings off the main street you can find alleyways and lovely old buildings.
In the centre of the town is the market place. Normally we try to find a space to park in the market place, though not on a Thursday because that is the day the market sets up.
There are 2 monuments in the market place.
This picture above was taken by Roger whilst Bill and I were busy in the antiques shop.
Across the market place you can see The Bear Hotel and to its right is the town hall. We have been there for antiques fairs some times.
The antiques shop in Devizes is a lot of fun. It is called Upstairs Downstairs and there are a lot of stairs leading up three floors and down to the cellar. The old house is divided into many rooms and each room is rented by a different dealer.
It is a place to spend many hours in if you want to see everything.
I found that the prices were very reasonable mostly, meaning that things were priced much as I would price them.
Bill and I came out with an odd collection of things. There is a slipper box - a box covered in brass with the word SLIPPERS embossed on it, a n old tin of dried yeast, a dollies picnic set and a few other bits. I have still got to sort most of it out.
We didn't go to the canal on our last visit. The Kennet and Avon canal runs through the town in an area known as the wharf. This area has been smartened in recent years with a number of small specialist shops. On the May Day bank holiday it is the centre of activities for The Lions fun day.
The picture shows the canal just outside Devizes. Devizes is on high ground and for the barges on the canal to get into town they have to negotiate a massive series of 29 locks. The short distance can take half a day.
I hope you have enjoyed a brief look at Devizes with me.
Bill and I returned the next day to a sort of boot sale in The Shambles - now I know that quaint old name has to do with butchery and slaughtering, so not so quaint really.
