Stuart House Arts & Heritage Centre

About the museum

Stuart House in Liskeard is a late medieval town house of around 1500, listed Grade II*. Who built it is unknown, and the first written records date from the early 17th century. By 1627 it belonged to the Jane family, who turned the house to face west onto what is now Barras Street and added the tower porch and a three-storey wing. Joseph Jane, a local official and member of parliament, supported King Charles I in the Civil War and hosted the king here in August 1644.

In later centuries the house passed through several owners and was altered, with sash windows added in the late 18th century and a doctor living there at the end of the 19th. By the time the Stuart House Trust bought it in 1988, a wing and a room had been demolished. The trust had been formed in the mid-1980s to buy, restore and use the house as an arts and heritage centre and community building.

After seven stages of renovation it opened fully as the Stuart House Arts and Heritage Centre in 2000. Visitors can see the history of the house, exhibitions on the local mining heritage and changing art and craft shows, and have refreshments in the Old Kitchen Café or the hidden garden, laid out as a 17th-century gentleman's garden. Several rooms can be hired.

Highlights

• Grade II* late medieval town house, about 500 years old
• Visited by King Charles I in 1644
• Exhibitions on the history of the house and local mining heritage
• Old Kitchen Café and hidden 17th-century style garden
• Free entry

Permanent exhibitions

• History of Stuart House – The King's Chamber houses a display on the history of the house and its owners over about 500 years.
• Our mining heritage – Material on the mining history of the Liskeard area, which forms the basis of the centre's exhibitions.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Stuart House Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free according to a published event listing; the centre welcomes support through its Friends scheme.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A published event listing notes that there is no lift to the upper floors. The King's Chamber and the Jane Room have a step of 16 cm. The garden is dog friendly.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The centre is on Barras Street in the centre of Liskeard.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The Old Kitchen Café serves hot drinks, homemade cakes, scones and soup, with seating in the hidden garden. The website advertises free Wi-Fi. There is a shop and reception area.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Rooms including a gallery, meeting rooms, the café and the garden can be hired for exhibitions, meetings, craft fairs, talks and concerts. Room hire starts at £10 for four hours.

Plan your visit