CHANGING THE FACE OF LISKEARD

LISKEARD | 1863

Poster headline, 1863

The railway arrived in Liskeard on 4 May 1859 with the first public trains between Plymouth and Truro and the opening of Liskeard station.

Lamellion Street, which connected the town to the Wool Mill at the bottom of Lamellion Hill, became Station Road.

The amount of traffic coming from and going to the new station increased drastically. In the town centre, the sharp right-hand bend to access Station Road from Dean Street and Barras Street, then known as Barrell Street, was difficult to negotiate and resulted in numerous complaints and several accidents. Local architect and surveyor Henry Rice proposed a solution, cut a new direct road from Barras Street to Barn Street and on to Station Road, avoiding the need to negotiate the sharp right-hand bend.

Liskeard Town Council agreed to Rice’s proposal and on April 27th 1863 posters appeared around the town and in newspapers inviting ‘Persons Disposed to Contract for making the NEW ROAD from the South End of Barras Street to Mr. Blamey’s Wool Store in Barn Street, may inspect the Plan and Specification of the proposed work at the Office of Mr. H. Rice, Green Bank Lane, Liskeard.’ The work also involved the taking down of Mr. Blamey’s store and the re-building of it much further back, away from the new road. The Mason’s work amounted to £190 18s 6d, and the Carpenter’ work was £198 16s 3d.

The new road was named Windsor Place. Other changes to road names about the same time were Barrell Street to Barras Street, Bull Post to the Parade, Market Street to Fore Street, and Honey Fair to Bay Tree Hill.

And hence the railway changed the face of Liskeard.