Records indicate that the first castle on the site had its origins in about 1080 as an early Norman motte and bailey with wooden pallisade and tower.

It became known by its Latin name Castrum ad divisas, the castle at the boundaries, because it was located at a place where three parishes joined.

[8] Important prisoners were held at the castle, including (from 1106) Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, and (in 1232) Hubert de Burgh.

[5] In 1643, during the Civil War, the castle was occupied by Royalist troops and besieged by Parliamentary forces under Sir William Waller.

In September 1645, Cromwell with large forces and heavy artillery invaded the town and laid siege to the castle, which surrendered after a bombardment by the 5,000 man Parliamentary army.

The Historic England report provided this information:[2] The motte and bailey castle at Devizes survives well and is a good example of its type.

Devizes Castle had its origins in about 1080 as an early Norman motte and bailey with wooden pallisade and tower ...

The present castellated Victorian era 'castle', in a mixture of Neo-Norman and Gothic Revival styles, was designed by Henry Goodridge, an architect from Bath.

The drawing room and bedroom in the northern section facing west have the partly original frames of C16 or early C17 ceilings inserted with carved and gilded bosses, small brackets and ribs, the whole completed in plaster".

[12] News coverage in March 2009 stated that Jonathan Lewis was then the owner of the "main section and the north tower".

Photographs published by Country Life indicated that a great deal of modernization had been completed, and also provided this information:[17] There are stone mullioned windows, detailed stone archways, cavernous fireplaces, oak floorboards, and spiral staircases ... Several of the rooms – including the drawing room and study – have ornate ceilings with gilded bosses, while the ‘fernery’ accessed via the drawing room has a beautiful encaustic tiled floor and a wooden ceiling ...

The living spaces are set across the ground and first floors, and include a huge kitchen/breakfast room, grand entrance hall with wooden staircase, a library and a long gallery.