Devizes has strengthened its claim to being one of the county’s bigger tourist attractions by taking two awards at a ceremony held by Wiltshire Life magazine.

The town was named High Street of the Year, though the award recognised the town’s commercial centre as a whole and not just its relatively modest High Street.

In its submission statement, the Devizes Tourism Partnership said: “Our Thursday market is the envy of neighbouring towns, with a wide range of offerings, including local produce.

“With regular collectors’ fairs to the Corn Exchange and the covered Shambles, it delivers colour and value for money, attracting many visitors – evidenced by an increased footfall of over 40 per cent.”

One of Devizes’ prime attractions, Wiltshire Museum in Long Street, got its own award, being named the Attraction of the Year.

Its submission statement said: “The new £500,000 prehistoric Wiltshire galleries are the centrepiece of the relaunched Wiltshire Museum and tell the story of 500,000 years of the county’s story.”

The museum also took third place in creative arts project of the year with its Walking Wiltshire Horses.