Roundway

Roundway is a hamlet and former civil parish adjacent to Devizes in the English county of Wiltshire.[2] The hamlet lies about 1 1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) northeast of Devizes town centre.

Roundway

View south from Roundway Hill
Roundway
Location within Wiltshire
Population5,290 (in 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSU014632
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDevizes
Postcode districtSN10
Dialling code01380
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteParish Council

In April 2017, Roundway civil parish was abolished and became a ward of Devizes parish,[3][4] owing to housing development to the north, east and south of the town. In the census of 2001 Roundway parish had a population of 2,267, increasing to 5,290 at the census of 2011.[5]

Roundway ward is located in the north, east and southwest of Devizes, and on the north side lies off the A361, which passes from Devizes to Swindon. On the southwest side it is accessible by the A360 Salisbury – Devizes Road, and by the A342. The small hamlet of Roundway lies just to the north of this, towards the White Horse. The north part of Roundway provides a bypass from the north of Devizes to the west through Conscience Lane.[2]

Towards the south of the ward is the former hamlet of Nursteed, now a contiguous suburb of Devizes.

Most of the land surrounding Roundway is agricultural and to the north of the hamlet is Roundway Hill, a popular place for walking and kite and model aircraft flying. The hill has round barrows which are scheduled monuments.[6]

Governance

The ward elects six councillors to Devizes parish council.[3] It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.

The civil parish was created in 1894; until then it was part of Bishops Cannings parish in the Potterne and Cannings hundred.[7] Following a community governance review in 2016, Roundway became a ward of Devizes parish; at the same time there were minor boundary changes, so that the Northfields area is wholly within Bishop Cannings parish, while the Hopton industrial estate is wholly within Roundway ward.[3]

An electoral ward with the same name exists. At the 2011 census the population was 4,514.[8]

Amenities

The ward has two primary schools: The Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (to the north) and Nursteed Community Primary School (towards the south).

The Kennet and Avon canal crosses the ward.

Roundway Down and Covert is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The former parish has no church and is served by churches in Devizes and Bishops Cannings.

Devizes White Horse
Main article: Devizes White Horse

A chalk hill figure of a horse was created in the hill above Roundway hamlet in September 1999 to celebrate the millennium. It replaces the white horse of Devizes (Snob's Horse) that was lost after 1845.[9]

Oliver's Castle
Main article: Battle of Roundway Down

Oliver Cromwell is mistakenly thought to have fought at the Battle of Roundway Down in 1643, hence the alternative name for the Roundway Downs, 'Olivers Castle'.[2]

Former Roundway Hospital, now residences

Roundway Hospital
Main article: Roundway Hospital

A large Victorian psychiatric hospital stood in the south of the parish and served Wiltshire until it was closed in 1995, following a decision to close it in 1989. The mental health services were transferred to the newly built Green Lane hospital on part of the same site.[2]

Notable buildings

Roundway House, in the north of the ward, is a Grade II listed building that is the remains of the 18th century building in the former Roundway Park.[10] The property was last owned privately by the Colston family who sold it in 1948. It was demolished in 1955 leaving the stable block which was improved and is now used for social functions.

Le Marchant Barracks, on the A361, was used by the army (primarily the Wiltshire Regiment) from 1878 until the 1980s. The keep was converted for residential use in 2013.

Notable people

Members of the Colston family at Roundway Park include Charles (1854–1925), High Sheriff of Wiltshire and member of parliament, who became Baron Roundway in 1916; and his son Edward (1880–1944), army officer in the Boer War and World War I.

Henry Billington (1908–1980), tennis player, was born in Roundway and is the maternal grandfather of tennis player Tim Henman.

References
  1. "Wiltshire Community History – Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  2. "Wiltshire Community History – Roundway". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  3. "The Wiltshire Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2016" (PDF). Wiltshire Council. 22 December 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  4. Moore, Joanne (31 October 2016). "Two become one in council merger". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  5. "Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  6. Historic England. "Roundway Hill Farm round barrows (1004773)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  7. "Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 7 pp187-197 – Parishes: Bishop's Cannings". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  8. "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  9. "Devizes Millennium White Horse". Devizes Heritage. 2013. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  10. Historic England. "Roundway House (1243319)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 April 2015.

Media related to Roundway, Wiltshire at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Oliver's Castle at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.