Maryport Street Baptist Chapel, Devizes

As early as 1646 there was a congregation meeting in the house of John Freme and by the 1660s there were two Baptist meetings with one in Mary Fidsall's house. These joined together by 1672 with a congregation of 60-80. What became the Old Baptist Church was formed from this group, meeting firstly at 22 The Brittox. The lease of this property was presented to the church in 1673 by Sir John Elyes and a meeting house was created on the ground floor. A number of leading townspeople were members in the early days and the church was General Baptist at first but later changed into a Strict and Particular Baptist Church. The church was reasonably prosperous during the 18th century and in 1780 a new chapel was built in Maryport Street.

This was a plain, square building to which an east gallery was added in 1785, to accommodate a larger number of people, while in 1818 a vestry, schoolroom and side galleries were built. The congregation suffered two secessions; c.1796 a group left to join the Presbyterians and in 1837, because of divisions in the congregation, the pastor, George Wessley, with some of the member left to form the Salem Baptist Chapel. The chapel prospered during the 19th century and between 1882 and 1897 seven village stations were established from Devizes. In 1895 the congregation at Salem rejoined the church and the schoolrooms were enlarged for the extra children. The chapel itself was enlarged in 1928. Today the chapel has a pleasant garden before its plain but distinguished facade, fronted by the entrance porches of the 1860s.