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Medieval Open Day

Saturday 25 September

10 am - 4 pm

Please 'read more' to find out which fun and free activities are on offer this year...




Students from the Wiltshire College evening class for adults improving their literacy skills have been creating powerful pieces of creative writing based on documents, books, photographs and newspaper accounts on prison life in Victorian Wiltshire. Please 'read more' to see this and other excerpts....

Jennifer Hart was inspired by a journal article on Bratton’s worst murder to write the diary of Rebecca Smith.

1848 Friday 31 December


In 1849 a crowd of 30,000 people gathered outside the imposing gates of Devizes prison to watch the public execution of Rebecca Smith of Bratton for poisoning her baby. Rebecca spent the night before in the prison chapel with her open coffin for company. After her execution her body is taken for burial in unhallowed grounds within the prison wall.

Devizes Prison Gate, 1889 
Devizes Prison Gate, 1889


Students from Wiltshire College have been investigating crime and punishment in the county as the basis for their creative writing. You can find out more by reading the prison diaries, letters appealing innocence, court room scripts and newspaper accounts that they have written. Their work will be appearing here soon and will be on display in the public search room at the History Centre in December.