Liskeard

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Liskeard







Statistics
Population:	8,478 (Civil Parish, 2001)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	SX249641
Administration
Parish:	Liskeard
District:	Caradon
Shire county:	Cornwall
Region:	South West England
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Cornwall
Historic county:	Cornwall
Services
Police force:	Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Fire and rescue:	{{{Fire}}}
Ambulance:	South Western
Post office and telephone
Post town:	LISKEARD
Postal district:	PL14
Dialling code:	01579
Politics
UK Parliament:	South East Cornwall
European Parliament:	South West England

Liskeard (generally pronounced Lis-KARD, with stress on the second syllable) (Cornish: Lys Kerwyd/Lyskerrys), is an ancient stannary and market town at the head of the River Looe valley in southeast Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It is the administrative centre of the Caradon District.

The town is about 14 miles west of the Tamar river. Liskeard railway station, on the London to Penzance Great Western 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.

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.

The town went through a period of economic prosperity during the pre-20th century boom in tin mining. The town boasts the second largest church in Cornwall, the oldest part of which dates back to the 15th century. Liskeard has remained in a gradual decline ever since, like so many East Cornwall towns, and today is struggling to retain any distinct identity. This is despite the best efforts of outlets like the Dairycentre on Russell Street, which buys and sells ALFA-LAVAL milking machines with some degree of success.