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Devizes Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress constructed in the early twelfth century, most likely by Roger of Salisbury around 1120, serving as a significant stronghold in Wiltshire during the medieval period. The castle comprises a substantial earthwork mound surmounted by a stone keep, surrounded by defensive ditches and outer works that remain clearly visible today. It played an important role during the civil war between Stephen and Matilda in the 1130s and 1140s, and continued as a royal castle of strategic importance throughout the medieval period. The surviving earthworks and fragmentary stone structures demonstrate the enduring character of Norman defensive architecture and the site's long occupation as a place of power and administration in central Wessex.
Devizes Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1021375. View the official record →
Devizes Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress constructed in the early twelfth century, most likely by Roger of Salisbury around 1120, serving as a significant stronghold in Wiltshire during the medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1021375.
Devizes Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1021375.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caen Hill locks (2.1 km), The Long Monument (3.1 km), Moated site 300m north-east of Potterne Park Farm (4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Devizes Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Devizes Castle stands on Gault Formation And Upper Greensand Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is mudstone, sandstone and limestone.