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Liskeard Town Council.

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Heritage

Liskeard & District Museum

Opening hours

Weekdays 11am-4pm
Saturdays 11am - 1.30pm

Foresters Hall

Pike Street
Tel: 01579 346087

LISKEARD & DISTRICT MUSEUM
gains national quality standard and nomination for Queen’s Award for Volunteers

Liskeard and District Museum in Liskeard had just been officially 'Accredited' by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

Mrs Heather Medlen Honorary Curator commented: "The MLA's Museum Accreditation Scheme sets nationally agreed standards for all museums in the UK. Liskeard and District Museum’s award proves that it measures up, meeting the guidelines on how it is run, how it looks after its collections and the services it provides its visitors."

Andrew Motion, Chair of MLA, said: "Being awarded Accreditation is an impressive achievement. It recognises the high standard and service that Liskeard and District Museum provides and acknowledges the hard work of its volunteers."

N.B. The MLA is the government’s agency for museums, libraries and archives. Leading strategically, we promote best practice to inspire innovative, integrated and sustainable services for all.

Visit http://www.mla.gov.uk

Liskeard and District Museum is the interpretation centre for the Caradon Area of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. This gives the opportunity not only to provide services for the local community but also to national and international communities. As all the people working in the Museum are volunteers Liskeard's Cornwall Councillor, Mrs Janet Powell, nominated them for a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

The nomination was endorsed by Lady Mary Holborow, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, and Councillor Mrs Pat Harvey, Chairman of Cornwall Council who gave a reception at County Hall on 21 st April 2010. Fifteen other Cornish volunteer organisations were put forward and three were successful. Unfortunately, the Museum did not get through the final round, but will be proud to display the certificate and photograph to commemorate the achievement in being nominated from Cornwall.

Forthcoming Events for 2010

July - William West Exhibition - celebrating the life of the Cornish 19th century mining engineer from St. Blazey, with pumping engine model making by school children organised by the Trevithick Society and a photographic competition at Stuart House.

August - Girl Guide Exhibition - centenary of the Girl Guides.

Sales of books, maps and memorabilia, including genuine old postcards

Please come in and view a Short Explanatory DVD of the Cornish Heritage Site. Now showing in the John Allen Room

Our mining culture shaped your world
www.cornish-mining.org.uk

Liskeard and District Museum and Information Centre & the Cornish Mining Attractions Marketing Association

In 2006, the Cornwall and West Devon mining heritage area was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This put the area on a similar status to such sites as Stonehenge, Ironbridge Gorge, the Dorset and East Devon Jurassic Coast, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal.

Following this successful WHS bid, Cornwall County Council set up the Cornish Mining Attractions Marketing Association, (CMAMA).
Liskeard and District Museum and Information Centre has been inspected and subsequently endorsed as a full member of CMAMA and is now authorised to use the World heritage Site logo in its marketing and and advertising.

For information about all the UK World Heritage Sites, go to UK World Heritage Site Portal

The Cornish Mining World Heritage website is at www.cornish-mining.org.uk

Current accredited members of CMAMA are:

Local Family History Research

The church records of baptisms, marriages and burials for the parishes of Herodsfoot, Lanreath, Liskeard, Quethiock, St Cleer, St Ive, St Keyne, St Neot and St Pinnock are now available here at the Musem

Trafalgar Exhibition

Profiled John Richards Lapenotiere and his journey to London to deliver news of the victory at Trafalgar, and the death of Nelson, to The Admiralty in London in 1805.

2005 was the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar –the epic naval encounter between Britain and the combined forces of France and Spain, a battle which finally put paid to Napoleon’s aspirations to invade Britain, but a battle during which Britain’s greatest hero –Admiral Lord Nelson –was killed.

The task of bringing the news of this great British victory back to London was given to Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere, Captain of a small, fast naval support ship, the HMS Pickle

An exhibition in Liskeard and District Museum, in August 2005, told the story of his epic journey –by ship from the seas off the Cape of Trafalgar, near Gibraltar, through the storm-tossed waters of the Bay of Biscay to Falmouth.

Then the frantic drive by postechaise coach to London, in record time, to deliver the news to the Admiralty and to the King, George III.

The King’s breakfast table was used to show him the dispostion of the ships and to recount the events of the battle and a muffineer was used to represent HMS Victory.

The King thanked Lt. Lapenotiere for the efficient and sympathetic manner in which he had discharged his duties and presented him with the silver muffineer. Some years ago descendants of Lt Lapenotiere presented this to Liskeard Town Council where it is now part of the town’s silver.

John Richards Lapenotiere lived in Menheniot, near Liskeard.

The exhibition told his life story, with particular reference to his career in the Royal Navy.

With the help of some of his family descendants living aroud Liskeard, a detailed genealogy of the Lapenotiere family was assembled and displayed.

Another major part of the exhibition was an account of the battle of Trafalgar and the events leading up to it –the French Revolution, the subsequent european wars, and the coming to power of Napoleon.

Supporting displays featured:

Biographies of the major personalities in the events of 1805.
Details of HMS Pickle, HMS Victory and the postechaise.
The life and death of Admiral Lord Nelson.
John Richards Lapenotiere in literature.
Aspects of the Arts in 1805.
‘Theatres of War 1805’ and their situation today.
Ship building, and the work of the Woodland Trust.

MUSEUM REGISTRATION

The Town Council and Volunteers of Liskeard & District Museum are delighted to have received Museum Registration from the South West Museums, Archives and Libraries Council. The Registration Scheme, established in 1988 sets standards for the operation of museum throughout the UK and confirms its long-term commitment to quality in public services. The certificate shows that (1) the Museum has achieved approved standards in museum management, collection care and public services (2) is a suitable home for collections which are part of our common heritage and (3) is worthy to receive support from public sources.The Certificate was presented by Kate Johnson, Caradon District Council’s Museum Development Officer to the Honorary Curator, Mrs Heather Medlen at a ceremony in the Public Hall complex in December, attended by representatives of Liskeard Town Council including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Curatorial Adviser, Dr Joanne Mattingly and the Town Clerk.

A Brief History of Liskeard

The first known reference to Liskeard was in the Domesday Book in 1086. In 1240, the first of eighteen charters was granted to the town, thus permitting the holding of markets which have continued to the present day, cattle markets being held on Mondays and Thursdays.

The transformation of the medieval market town into an industrial, commercial and shopping centre began with the growth of mining in the area. Liskeard had been one of the few "coineage", or tin assaying towns since the fourteenth century but the heyday of local mining was in the nineteenth century and much of the quality townscape that is visible today results from the wealth generated by the mines and their associated industries in this period.

Few towns the size of Liskeard can boast two sets of public buildings. The Guildhall, with its clock tower, was built in 1859, replacing the former Town Hall, and was used until recently as the Magistrates Court. The Public Hall was built in 1890 and provides a venue for a range of community activities as well as housing the Town Council Offices. More recently the Foresters Hall (1896) has been acquired and houses the Town Museum.

The Stuart House, adjacent to the library, was used as a lodging by Charles I during a military campaign against the Parliamentarian forces in 1644. This has recently been restored and is used as a venue for arts and heritage events.

The Parish Church of St. Martin is the second largest in the county and predominantly dates from the fifteenth century although there are traces of earlier work, some as old as the Norman period. The tower is more recent, having been erected to replace the earlier one demolished in 1902.

The town has also been enriched by other denominations. Methodism has flourished since the visit of John Wesley in 1757 and the present Methodist Chapel has a magnificent plaster ceiling incorporating the town's coat of arms. Quakerism was established by George Fox himself, the Friends Meeting House subsequently being situated in Friends Place off Pound Street until it burned down in 1899. A Presbyterian church was built in 1701 and the Romnan Catholic Church of Our Lady and St. Neot dates from 1863. The Salvation army have had a Citadel in the town since 1887, and more recently the Jehovah's Witnesses have built a Kingdom Hall in the south of the town.

The Pipe Well

The Pipe Well can be found in Well Lane, and is often referred to in old documents as "The Well of Lyskiret" or "The Well of St Martins". It is probably the chief reason for the town of Liskeard being built. Fed by four springs, the well has never been known to run dry. The water was believed to possess miraculous healing powers and would cure "weak eyes".