ONE of the oldest licensed premises in Liskeard is the Great Pot in Barn Street, which through its 154-year history has had several names.

Local historian John Rapson says the pub was originally called 'The Farmers', and the first landlord in 1847 was William Hancock. In 1851, William Quiller took over and stayed for 30 years until 1881.

It was during Quiller's time that the name was changed to 'The Railway'. John says this happened in 1857 when the railway first came to Liskeard with the opening of the London to Penzance line, made possible by the building of Brunel's bridge across the Tamar at Saltash.

The pub retained this name longer than any other, but in recent years it changed to the Great Pot, then Porters, and now with a new licensee, has reverted back to the Great Pot.

Denise Holroyd took up the reins only a couple of weeks ago, and the owners, Inn Partnership, a national pub company, are quite frank about why she is there.

Area manager Chet Greenslade said the pub, which was closed for a couple of months, needs putting back on its feet again, and becoming a part of the community where it belongs.

'Denise seized the opportunity, and we are very confident, with her excellent reputation as a licensee, that she is the one to do it,' he said.

Denise, who was previously at 'Flukeys' in Barnstaple for seven years, has her faithful companion Bretus, a four-year-old Springer Spaniel, as her 'man about the house', and says her daughters, Tabitha, who lives in Lancashire, and Tamara, in Devon, will be frequent visitors.

'The Great Pot will be a challenge,' says Denise, 'but so far I have been impressed by the friendliness of the people of Liskeard, and their willingness to give the pub a chance.

'I believe that no-one actually owns a pub, it is owned by the people who use it, and they create the atmosphere.

'This is why I am determined that everyone, young and old alike, will feel welcome here.'

Denise wants the pub to get back its original traditional feel, based around popular pub games, good beer, and not least, but most important, a congenial ambience. She has introduced delicious Sunday roasts at £4.95, and once the festive season is over intends to start a senior citizens special lunch each day.

She has already begun a daily menu of good 'pub grub' such as lasagnes, baked potatoes with various fillings, sandwiches and soup.

Decorations

'Busy workers with only an hour to spare will be quite welcome to ring up in advance so their lunchtime meal will be ready, and by the summer we will have re-created the large beer garden at the rear of premises, so customers will be able to relax outside in the sunshine if they wish,' said Denise.

'It will also be ideal for children, who will be welcome to accompany their parents into the pub as well, as long as they sit in an area designated for them.

'I am determined to make families feel welcome.'

Once you enter The Great Pot you are immediately struck by the size of it. On two levels, it is probably the most spacious pub in the town, and has a large bar area. Denise feels that with so much room to offer it is the ideal meeting place for town organisations, and with its close proximity to the market she hopes local farmers and others from the rural community will find the pub a good place to meet and have a chat over a drink.

Moving in right on top of Christmas to re-open could not have been more difficult, but Denise has already created a welcoming glow with a brightly lit tree and other decorations.

A disco, run by Danny Rose, was organised for Boxing Day, and was due to feature music from the 50s right through to present day hits.

And of course, The Great Pot will be an excellent place to visit for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

With the friendly face of Natasha Hewett behind the bar, coupled with Denise and her determination to make the pub a place where everyone feels welcome, the Great Pot is already back on the right track to become a popular hostelry once more.