Liskeard

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Cornwall
official_name= Liskeard
cornish_name=Lys Kerwyd
latitude= 50.45
longitude= -4.4666
population= 9899 (Civil Parish, 2008)
civil_parish= Liskeard
shire_district= Caradon
shire_county= Cornwall
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= South East Cornwall
post_town= LISKEARD
postcode_district = PL14
postcode_area= PL
dial_code= 01579
os_grid_reference= SX249641

Liskeard (Audio|En-uk-Liskeard.ogg|pronunciation; IPA|/lɪˈskɑ:d/ — correctly stressed on the second syllable, but often wrongly on the first) ( _kw. Lys Kerwyd or Lyskerrys), is an ancient stannary and market town at the head of the River 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 is the base of the 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 was granted its market charter 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 bellows of cattle arriving can be heard across the town.

Liskeard is currently going through change with new shops such as Morrisons, Argos and the large DIY chain Focus being added to the outskirts of the town. This has caused a mixed reaction from residents and from small businesses, particularly from within the town centre who feel that trade inside the town centre could leave to the big high street names on the outskirts of the town. There are also many houses being built on the outskirts of the town in projects such as that of the Liskeret woods project.Few residents work in the town. Many commute to Plymouth and many others are retired. Although steeped in teetotal methodist traditions 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 youths are mobile enough to take their delights in Plymouth.

Liskeard now boasts a gastro-pub and a handful of small bistro/restaurants.

Notable buildings

The town boasts St. Martin's, the second largest church in Cornwall. Built on the site of the former Norman church, the oldest parts of the current structure date back to the 15th century

*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. [http://www.liskeard.gov.uk/heritage.htm Liskeard & District Museum] ] 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.
*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. [ [http://www.pencubitt.com/history.htm Pencubitt House] History]

Politics

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

In the year 1294, Liskeard sent 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. [Liskeard and Its People by Bernard W. Deacon ISBN 095153551X]

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 [http://www.liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk] .

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.

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.

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 other. There are well supported soccer rugby and cricket clubs.

The town has a King George V Playing Field.

There are three trails, each has there own blue plaque to commemorate them (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, who's 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, and commemorates Lt. Lapenotière, who brought back the news of the Battle of Trafalgar to England. For Lt. Lapenotière troubles, 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.

Live music and various theatricals regularly take place in the unusual but acoustically good Carnglaze caverns just to the north.

People associated with Liskeard

*Richard Coad - architect
*Emily Hobhouse - welfare campaigner
*Joseph Jane (d. 1658), - politician and controversialist
*William Henry Paynter - antiquarian & folklorist
*William Henry Sowden - US politician
*Trevor Woodman - Former England rugby international, part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team

References

Alvin Porter Liskeard Looe RFC Player

External links

* [http://www.liskeard-churches.co.uk Liskeard Churches]
* [http://www.liskeard.gov.uk/ Liskeard Town Council]
*
* [http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='liskeard') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Liskeard]