Richard Gamble Richard worked in local politics and for Wiltshire Council. He became involved with the Historic Buildings Trust, was a Trustee for Wiltshire Museum and worked on the Devizes Wharf Plan Development plan in 2017. Lord Lansdowne and Historic Buildings Trust save the Assize Court Yes, well I was

Peter Spencer Peter Spencer joined the Wiltshire Police Force in September 1968 had 13 weeks basic training in Dorset then was posted to Devizes Police Station, which was attached to the Assize Court. Drunken husband and wife One occasion when I reported to night duty, and we always reported 15

Peter Madeley Peter was a senior surveyor for Wiltshire County Council from 1974 until he retired in 2010. His role involved major and minor repairs to Council owned property including many schools, police buildings and the Assize Court. Court ceiling falls down So, the caretaker would often call me in

Ian Miles Iain worked as a Technical Assistant for Devizes Borough Council in the offices opposite the Assize Court from 1969-1970.   Trumpton or Camberwick Green? How much did you know about the Assize Court before you started working there? Not a lot, I hadn’t appreciated that, what it was,

Very different at the Assize Courts at the borough police station. For example, if the sergeant at Pewsey wanted to send a file to Devizes urgently, he didn’t use the post, he went down the bus station and gave it to the bus driver. And the bus drive come in

Peter: And then the Assize Courts and the Assize Courts were like the supreme court nowadays sort of thing. The main court and the Assize Court the judge would sit. Ann: He’d arrive with a fanfare and red carpet Peter: On the first day, all the policemen would arrive and

Well, you’re a little bit nervous. Well, I wouldn’t say nervous. Apprehensive rather because you’re going into a system you have never been in before and you’re waiting for people to tell you what to do all the time. Then you watch the jury sworn in, hear the case. I

A man had come out of a pub in the Market Place in Devizes, obviously having too much to drink and he ran amuck with a car jack and injured somebody, I can’t remember any names, quite badly. And he was up before the court for Grievous Bodily Harm. We

And one of the boys lived in this house before we moved in. he was in the brigade and he was out there practising his bugle when a case was being heard in the assize courts. And a judge ordered a policeman to come round and tell him to shut

Terry Gaylard was interviewed by Lisa Brown, Curator, in 2019. Listen here to 6 extracts from the interview. Terry, a former Gazette and Herald reporter, often covered Assize Court proceedings and his testimony is full of fascinating insights into how the courts ran and its impact on Devizes. The Assizes