Liskeard

Coordinates: 50°27′13″N 4°27′54″W / 50.4536°N 4.4651°W / 50.4536; -4.4651

Liskeard
Cornish: Lys Kerwyd
Liskeard  Liskeard shown within Cornwall
Population	9,899 (Civil Parish, 2008)
OS grid reference	SX251645
Parish	Liskeard
Unitary authority	Cornwall
Ceremonial county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LISKEARD
Postcode district	PL14
Dialling code	01579
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	South East Cornwall
List of places: UK • England • Cornwall

Liskeard (pronounced /lɪsˈkɑrd/ ( listen);^[1] Cornish: Lys Kerwyd or Lyskerrys) is an ancient stannary and market town at the head of the Looe valley in the ancient hundred of West Wivelshire in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

Located 14 miles (22.5 km) west of the Tamar river, it was the base of the former Caradon District Council. It still has a town council. Within easy reach to the south of Liskeard are the coves and resorts of the south Cornish coast, whilst the vast rugged expanse of Bodmin Moor lies to the north. By-passed by but immediately adjacent to the A38 the town is accessible but peaceful and has low traffic levels.

History

Liskeard and District in the 1920s

Liskeard was one of the 17 Antiqua maneria of the Duchy of Cornwall.^[2] The market charter was granted by Richard, Earl of Cornwall (brother of Henry III) in 1240. Since then, it has been an important centre for agriculture.

The town went through a period of economic prosperity during the pre-20th century boom in tin mining, becoming a key centre in the industry as a location for a stannary and coinage.

Present day

Liskeard is one of the few towns in Cornwall still to have a weekly traditional market. The main market day is Thursday, when the bellowing of cattle arriving can be heard across the town.

Liskeard is currently going through change with new shops such as the Morrisons, Argos and large DIY Homebase stores being added on the outskirts of the town. This has caused a mixed reaction from residents and from small businesses, particularly from within the town centre: there is concern that trade inside the town centre could move to the big high street names on the outskirts of the town. This appears to be largely unfounded as there are many thriving shops within the centre of Liskeard including a delicatessen several coffee shops a renowned fish shop and amazing hardware shop that even sells fork handles. There are also many houses being built on the outskirts of the town in projects such as that of the Liskeret Woods project. The town centre is inviting despite a number of closed up shops, caused by the Global Financial Crisis, the empty Woolworths leaving a big gap on the main shopping throughfare of Fore street.

Few residents work in the town: many commute throughout eastern Cornwall/Plymouth and many others are retired. Although Liskeard was steeped in the teetotal traditions associated with Methodism the presence of the market inevitably ensured the survival of a dozen pubs and since the seventies a small club on the Parade has provided limited nightlife, although modern youth is in many cases mobile enough to travel to Plymouth. Liskeard now boasts a gastro-pub and a handful of small bistro/restaurants.

Geography

Climate

Liskeard has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb).

Notable buildings

Liskeard Guildhall

The town boasts St. Martin's, the third largest church in Cornwall (after Truro Cathedral and Bodmin parish church). Built on the site of the former Norman church, the oldest parts of the current structure date back to the 15th century. Other places of worship include a Roman Catholic church and Methodist chapels.^[4]

• Foresters Hall - now houses the tourist information office
• Stuart House (on The Parade) - used by Charles I as a lodging in 1644, when chasing the Parliamentarians.^[5] Restored, it is now used as a community building for arts, heritage and community events
• The Guildhall - built in 1859 - has a prominent clock tower.
• The Public Hall - constructed in 1890
• Webb's House - Formerly Webb's Hotel - a classic early Victorian market-town hotel featuring in royal visits, parliamentary declarations and much more but recently converted into flats and is the home of the local newspaper The Cornish Times.
• Pencubitt House - built in 1897 for a wealthy wool merchant J. H. Blamey. The house was designed by local architect John Sansom responsible for many Liskeard homes of that period^[6]
• The Liskeard Union Workhouse, architect John Foulston of Plymouth (later the Lamellion Hospital)

Politics

For further details of the parliamentary history of the town see Liskeard (UK Parliament constituency)

In the year 1294, Liskeard began to send two members to Parliament, but this was reduced to one by the 1832 Reform Act. The MPs included the historian and author Edward Gibbon, who wrote the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and Isaac Foot.^[7]

Liskeard is now part of the South East Cornwall constituency, and is presently represented by Liberal Democrat Colin Breed

Education

Secondary state education is provided at Liskeard School and Community College [1]. In 1908, the County School, built by the Cornwall Education Committee, was opened at Old Road, Liskeard. In 1945, its name was changed to Liskeard Grammar School: it closed in 1978. The nearest independent schools are at Plymouth and Tavistock. The Other schools in Liskeard are: Hillfort Primary School [2](Located: Old Road) (Age Range:4-11) which was opened in September 2006 on the Liskeard Junior School site by merging Liskeard Junior School and Liskeard Infant School (which was in West Street), AND St Martin's CofEVA School (Located: Lake Lane) (Age Range: 5-11)[3]. For The whole list of schools in Liskeard and around vistit the link at the end of this sentence(It's the Number) [4].

Transport

Liskeard railway station, on the London to Penzance Cornish Main Line, and the A38 trunk road provide the town with rapid access to Plymouth, the rest of Cornwall and the motorway network. The town is also served by the Looe Valley branch line to Looe. There are regular bus services to various parts of Cornwall.

Leisure and sports

There is a leisure centre at Lux Park on the north side of the town: there is a bowling club on the southern side. The soccer, rugby and cricket clubs are all well-supported. The town has a King George V Playing Field. Live music and various theatrical events frequently take place in the unusual but acoustically good Carnglaze Caverns just to the north.

Leisure trails

There are three trails, each has its own blue commemorative plaque (these were unveiled by former town mayor, Sandra Preston)

• Footpath from the town to the railway station: the path was built by Thomas Lang, who was a former mayor, in 1890.
• Trail around the north of the town centre, including the Parade and the ornamental fountain. The fountain was given to the town by Michael Loam, whose father invented the Man engine (a device for lifting men up and down mineshafts, and used in many mines throughout Cornwall & West Devon).
• Trail around the southern part of the town, commemorating Lt. Lapenotière, who brought back the news of the Battle of Trafalgar to England. For Lt. Lapenotière's achievement he was given a silver spice sprinkler by King George III. The sprinkler is still owned by the mayor's office, and is exhibited occasionally.

Twinning

• Kemperle (Brittany)

People associated with the town

• Richard Coad - architect
• Richard Hardinge (c1593-1658) - delivered message from King Charles II to Essex the parliamentarian at Liskeard Aug 1644^[8]
• Emily Hobhouse - welfare campaigner
• Joseph Jane (d. 1658) - politician
• William Henry Paynter - antiquarian and folklorist
• Trevor Woodman - former England rugby international, part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team

See also the category: People from Liskeard

References

External links

• Liskeard Churches
• Liskeard Town Council
• Liskeard at the Open Directory Project
• Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Liskeard

v • d • e Civil Parishes of the former Caradon District Cornwall Antony • Boconnoc • Botusfleming • Broadoak • Callington • Calstock • Deviock • Dobwalls and Trewidland • Duloe • Landrake with St Erney • Landulph • Lanreath • Lansallos • Lanteglos • Linkinhorne • Liskeard • Looe • Maker-with-Rame • Menheniot • Millbrook • Morval • Pelynt • Pillaton • Quethiock • Saltash • Sheviock • South Hill • St Cleer • St Dominick • St Germans • St Ive • St John • St Keyne • St Martin-by-Looe • St Mellion • St Neot • St Pinnock • St Veep • St Winnow • Torpoint • Warleggan