Overview of Devizes Cemetery
Devizes cemetery opened in approximately 1878 (the first interment was 9 October 1878) and is situated on the north side of the Kennet and Avon canal that runs through Devizes and the entrance is located on the junction of Rotherstone and Couch Lane.
The main gates are open for disabled vehicular and funeral cortége access during daylight hours. During the quiet hours the side gate is normally kept open for pedestrians.There is limited on-street parking along Rotherstone and a pay & display car park nearby in The Wharf car park. The address for the Devizes Cemetery is Rotherstone, Devizes, SN10 2DE
During the cemetery’s 130 year history it has been expanded many times, each time the cemetery has been expanded the new sections have been labeled to make it easier to administer and for people to find their way around.
The oldest part of the cemetery is Victorian in origin and has a number of sections contained within which are identified by a set of alphabetical letters or symbols making it confusing to find your way around, this section is commonly referred to as the ‘Old Section’.
The extended sections are usually referred to as the ‘Cemetery Extension’. With the exception of the ‘Lawn’ section and the ‘Garden of Remembrance’ all of the sections contained within are identified with the prefix of ‘EX’, the first of these became operational in 1950 and is referred to as just the ‘EX’ section. Following this ‘EX1’ became operational in 1969, ‘EX2’ in 1980 and ‘EX4’ in 2007.
The ‘Lawn’, EX3 and the ‘Garden of Remembrance’ sections are specifically designated areas for cremated remains, the Lawn section and Garden of Remembrance both became operational in 1973, EX3 in 1998.
Annual Open Day
Each year the town council holds an open day in Devizes Cemetery. The purpose of the day is to give visitors an opportunity to trace family graves and view the burial records, which date back to 1878. Members of the Devizes branch of the Wiltshire Family History Centre are usually available to provide advice and can help research your Wiltshire roots.
If you are interested in family history or have any issues you want to raise about the Cemetery please keep your eyes open for our news updates →
We are grateful for the support we received from the Devizes branch of the Wiltshire Family History Society →