The story of wool has always been an important strand in Liskeard’s history…….
In 1586 the town council directed that every woman and child over seven without an occupation must spin a set amount of yarn each week.If they refused,to do so, they would be punished by the stocks or a whipping.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, Liskeard had developed into a significant agricultural centre with woollen yarn spinning. Wool was collected from farms on Bodmin Moor and the surrounding area and distributed to the poorer women and children of the town to card (tease out) and spin by hand into yarn. A yarn market was held every market day with the stalls being erected along Fore Street. It was one one the largest markets in Cornwall with clothiers travelling from as far afield as Devon to purchase yarn
In 1897, John. H. Blamey, a wealthy wool & agricultural merchant based in Liskeard commissioned John Sansom,( who with fellow architect Henry Rice, designed most of the large houses and churches in Liskeard) to build Pencubitt House. Blamey had the house built on a hill to provide sweeping views over Liskeard, the Moorswater Viaduct and the Looe Valley. In 1950 Pencubitt House was sold to later become a hotel as we know it today
Down the lane at the bottom of the hill is Lamellion Hamlet where you can see Liskeard’s remaining trading woollen mill ‘ Devon & Cornwall Wools Mill’ which stands on the site of Blamey’s original mill.