Day 3 To Devizes and beyond.

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3 locks today, 29 in total.



Hooray – no frost this morning. We were joined bright and early by Matthew, Clair and Naomi for the last 3 locks into Devizes Wharf. We visited a food fair in the Market Square, part of Devizes Food Festival Week but sadly had no room in our small fridge for any of the delicious food, although we did buy some fudge!







Devizes is a medieval market town which grew up around the original castle, long since disappeared. The Market Square became the focus in the 18^th century and many of these buildings survive. By the 19^th century Devizes held the largest corn market in the West of England and was also a centre for selling hops, cheese, cattle, horses and cloth, made by the many manufacturers of wool and silk in the area.







When Matthew and family left we walked into the town again before making the the most of the weather and motoring for a couple of hours to All Cannings – well it may be raining tomorrow....

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Photos

Camourflage gear
Found on the towpath and you never know - it just might come in handy!

At the food fair -
- bit sad really...

The Crammer
Legend tells of Wiltshire smugglers who had hidden their contraband in this pond. At a later date, as they began to retrieve the goods with rakes they were set upon by Excise men. The smugglers pretended to be extremely stupid yokels and kept insisting they were trying to get the great big cheese that was there, pointing to the reflection of the full moon on the water. The Excise men thought the locals really were that simple so did nothing; since that time, Wiltshire folk have been known as Moonrakers.

St. John's Church
Built for the castle by Bishop Roger of Sarum in the 12th century.

Devizes Castle today
A Victorian folly was built on the site of the original Devizes Castle – it looks like something out of a fairy tale and apparently is now private apartments.

Monument with a cautionary tale.
The perils of invoking Divine wrath are vividly described on this monument. Ruth Pierce asked that God strike her dead on the spot if the accusation of theft levelled against her was true. It was and He did.

Wadworth Brewery
As viewed from the Market Square. Deliveries around Devizes are still made by horse and dray.

Wiltshire Wolds
The canal follows the Vale of Pewsey for quite a way and also the Vale of the White Horse.

Swing bridge
Too low, can't get under it.... etc.

Sometimes they're very easy to open
and other times it takes 2 people and brute force.