Liskeard Unlocked Heritage Open Days

Liskeard Unlocked is part of Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture and takes place every September. This year it runs from Friday 8^th to Sunday 17^th September and the theme is Creativity Unwrapped.

There will be walks, talks, exhibitions and the chance to see behind doors which are usually closed. And, it’s all FREE.

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Download the Liskeard Unlocked 2023 Leaflet here

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Download the Liskeard Unlocked 2023 Art Trail here
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Monday 4th – Saturday 16th September

• Decorative Liskeard – Guess Where? Exhibition of photographs of creative details of Liskeard’s buildings with clues to help identify them. I-spy Trail map. There will also be a Kingwell Family Art and Craft Sale in the Gallery. Stuart House, 9.30am-3.30pm (closed Wednesdays and Sundays)

Friday 8th September

• Illustrated Talk on J.K. Broad B.W.S. (Artist & Recorder of Life in Liskeard) An illustrated talk on the life and works of John Kerkin Broad (1869-1947), a member of the British Watercolour Society and a recorder of his memories of a lifetime in Liskeard. Liskeard Public Hall, 2.30pm

Friday 8th – Sunday 17th September

• Frame the Town with A Selfie Frame Use our specially created selfie frames to see Liskeard buildings through fresh eyes.  Frames are attached to street furniture on the Parade and at each end of Fore Street.

Look through them to see the buildings in new ways.  Take a picture and post it on social media and tag it #LiskeardUnlocked

Many thanks to volunteers at the Liskerrett Community Centre for making the frames.

Friday 8th – Saturday 16th September

• Local Creatives Exhibition See an exhibition celebrating local creatives such as Liskeard Glass and the ever popular Tremar Pottery. Liskeard & District Museum, weekdays 10am – 4pm, Saturdays 10am-1pm (Closed Sundays)

Friday 8th – Saturday 16th September

• Church of Impact Open View this historic building one of the first of many Methodist Chapels designed by Henry Rice. Opened for worship in 1838, now being lovingly restored again as an Assemblies of God Church, Church of Impact. Chat with the current Pastors and leadership team. Church of Impact, Greenbank Road. 1pm-4pm (closed Sundays although open for Worship 10.30am-12.30pm)

Friday 8th – Saturday 9th September

• Little Playdough Potters To complement their exhibition on Tremar Pottery, the museum will be hosting children’s arts and crafts activities including plasticine model making. Liskeard & District Museum, 10am-12pm

Saturday 9th September

• Celebrating the Valley: Continuity and Change from Moor to Sea – Exhibition From the industrial history of Moorswater to the natural environments of the Looe Valley, this exhibition celebrates the spaces in between the moor and sea and tells the story of continuity and change in the valley over the last 200 years. Liskerrett Community Centre, 10am-3pm
• Liskeard Local Produce Market A local produce market including a selection of food and drinks from the local area. Also featuring stalls selling arts and crafts produced by local artists and a local artisan quarter. Market Canopy and Piazza, Liskeard Cattle Market, 10am-1pm

As always a number of houses and buildings will be open:

• • Westbourne House Westbourne House was the subject of an extensive restoration and renovation project after Wildanet took on the lease from owners Cornwall Council in 2021. A rare chance to view the progress of creating high-tech offices while preserving architectural features in a Georgian building.
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  • Our Lady and St Neot Catholic Church Open The Church will be open with a display of hand-embroidered vestments and church plate. Light refreshments in the adjoining Church Hall. Our Lady and St Neot Catholic Church, West Street, 10am-3pm
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  • The Pipewell This Well was once the principal water source for the town centre and is fed by four springs. The iron gates which are normally locked to protect the well (and the magic stone it contains) will be open so that visitors can see the full extent of the water source. 10am-1pm
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  • Liskeard Library – Local Community First Peek The local community can join us for a first peek at Liskeard Library whilst it’s under refurbishment, to celebrate this year’s Liskeard Unlocked! Tours every 30 minutes from 11am-3.30pm, max 10 people per tour. This event is now FULLY BOOKED
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  • The Workshed Open Day. Liskeard’s Former Cattle Market, 12 noon-2pm
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  • Westbourne House Westbourne House was the subject of an extensive restoration and renovation project after Wildanet took on the lease from owners Cornwall Council in 2021. A rare chance to view the progress of creating high-tech offices while preserving architectural features in a Georgian building. Westbourne House, West Street 12.30pm-4pm, Tours at 1pm, History talk at 2pm, final building tour at 3pm
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  • Tours of the Guildhall The Grade 2* Guildhall was constructed in 1858 and consists of a ‘loggia’ the ground floor occupied by local shops and a hall, office, and balcony on the first floor formerly used as Council Offices and Magistrates Court. The Guildhall, Fore Street, 2pm-4pm. Pre-booking is essential – email Liskeard Tourist Information Centre at [email protected], call 01579 349148. Registration opens 18^th August 10am, registration closes 7^th September 12 noon

Sunday 10th September

• Walk Learning About Buildings Artistic Features A two hour, but only 2 miles in distance, guided circular stroll with Calum Beeson around the town centre, stopping to view, and learn about, some examples of the artistic features on Liskeard buildings. 2pm-4pm 

Pre-booking is essential – email Liskeard Tourist Information Centre at [email protected], call 01579 349148. Registration opens 18^th August 10am, registration closes 7^th September 12 noon

Tuesday 12th September

• Talk on Music in Art by Sophie Matthews Listen to Sophie Matthews and her talk about Music in Art. Sophie will show ancient instruments depicted in period paintings and then play her own replicas which she has made herself to show the sounds they originally made. The talk is run in association with Liskeard Arts and will be available for the public to join them for free at their regular monthly meeting. Liskeard Public Hall, doors 7pm, talk starts 7.30pm

Friday 15th – Saturday 16th September

• Little Playdough Potters To complement their exhibition on Tremar Pottery, the museum will be hosting children’s arts and crafts activities including plasticine model making. Liskeard & District Museum, 10am-12pm

Friday 15th – Sunday 17th September

Arts and Crafts Open Studios:

• Open Studios at The Old Brewery We’ve prepared our studio to showcase what years of dedication to glass and resin making looks like. Step through our studio, browse our collection, observe the process, and perhaps participate in a glass-cutting demonstration. The Old Brewery, Pondbridge Hill, 10am-4pm
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• Open Studios at Looedown We are ‘unwrapping’ a range of beautiful arts and crafts for you created by Liskeard’s innovative Market Makers group in our historical farm yard setting.  Come and join us for free coffee and homemade cake while you peruse our beautiful arts and crafts.  One mile walk or five minutes’ drive from Liskeard Parade. Homestead, Looedown, 10am-4pm. What3words:  ///dispenser.privately.cheer
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• Open Studio at Woodhill Studio Beautiful creative work from Liskeard Market Makers and other local artists will be unwrapped for this one off display in a beautiful historic setting, nestled in the Cornish countryside. Only one mile from the centre of Liskeard if on foot but plenty of off road parking for drivers. Free refreshments. Cider Cottage at Woodhill Manor, Friday 15th 12 noon-5pm, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, 10am-4pm. What3words:  ///chained.stealing.meatballs

Saturday 16th September

• • St Martin’s Church and Bells Explore St Martin’s Church, see the history behind the building and how it has been a place of Christian worship for over 800 years, you can even have a go at ringing one of the bells. St Martin’s Church, Plymouth Road, 10am-2pm
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  • Creative Jam Liskerrett is hosting a Creative Jam offering tasters in a wide variety of art forms to truly unwrap Liskeard’s creativity! Try your hand at something new from dance, music, art, printmaking, photography and writing workshops linked to the heritage of our town. Liskerrett Community Centre, 10am-4pm
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  • Celebrating the Valley – Poetry Jam Open Mic the Moor to Sea project are holding an open mic night at the Liskerrett Centre for people to share words and music inspired by Liskeard and the valley. Come and have a go and share and listen! All welcome. Liskerrett Community Centre, 7pm-9.30pm

Sunday 17th September

• Guided Walk Where Liskeard Artisans and Artists Honed Their Skills in Days Gone By A two hour, but only 2 miles in distance, guided circular stroll around Liskeard town centre stopping at the premises of the many who earned their living from their own skills set, and hear a little of their history. 2pm-4pm

Pre-booking is essential – email Liskeard Tourist Information Centre at [email protected], call 01579 349148. Max 30 people per tour/session. 2 hours. Registration opens 18^th August 10am, registration closes 14^th September 12 noon

 

Virtual Tours

You can see videos of some historic properties in Liskeard on the Liskeard Unlocked Virtual Tours page.

Take a tour through some of the beautiful houses and gardens of Liskeard, sit alongside the driver of the Looe Valley Line, peek inside the signal box at Liskeard station and join our Facilities team in winding the Guildhall Clock. Find out about the history of the Looe Valley Line with rail explorers Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe.

You can also watch online talks about the Liskeard wool industry, Stuart House and ‘A Look in Liskeard’s Larders in Times Gone By’ which were given for Liskeard Unlocked in previous years.