Kalutara, West Coast

Richmond Castle

A 99-door, 34-window Edwardian mansion built on a hill above the Kalu Ganga River, inspired by a Maharaja’s palace and shaped by a marriage that never survived it.

🏠 Built 1900 to 1910 🚪 99 doors, 34 windows 🌲 42-acre hilltop estate 👤 Built by Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva

Set on the highest point in Kalutara, overlooking the Kalu Ganga River, Richmond Castle looks almost too grand to be a genuine country house rather than a film set. Its story, though, is entirely real: an ambitious local aristocrat, a Maharaja’s palace as inspiration, and a marriage that ultimately didn’t outlast the house built to celebrate it.

Quick Facts

Location	Palatota, about 2 km from Kalutara town
Built	1900 to 1910, opened 10 May 1910
Built by	Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena (1889 to 1947)
Scale	Two storeys, 99 doors, 34 windows, 42-acre estate
Materials	Burmese teak, Italian floor tiles, Scottish stained glass, English ironwork
Current status	Owned by the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka, open to visitors

Commonly searched as: Richmond Castle Kalutara · Edwardian mansion Sri Lanka · Don Arthur de Silva · Kalutara colonial history · things to do in Kalutara

A Palace Inspired by a Palace

Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena, born in 1889 into a wealthy planter family, was sent to Britain for his education, where he moved among the sons of nobility from across the British Empire. One of those friends was Raja Rajeswara Sethupathi, the Maharaja of Ramnad in India. On his return journey to Ceylon, Arthur stopped to visit Sethupathi’s palace and was so struck by its grandeur that he asked for the original construction plans, determined to build something equally impressive back home.

Around the same time, Arthur was conferred the position of Mudaliyar, a senior local administrative title under British colonial rule, for the Kalutara district. Drawing on his family’s wealth from lace, gems, graphite, plantations and agriculture, he set about building his own version of the Maharaja’s palace on a hilltop estate at Palatota, just outside Kalutara. Construction ran from roughly 1900 to 1910, and the finished mansion opened its doors on 10 May 1910, timed to coincide with his marriage to Clarice Matilda Maude Suriyabandara.

A House Built From Around the World

Richmond Castle’s scale and craftsmanship reflect just how much Arthur was willing to invest in the project. The two-storey mansion contains 99 doors and 34 windows, the latter fitted with stained glass depicting grape vines imported from Scotland. Teak for the woodwork came from Burma, floor tiles from Italy, and an ornate iron staircase and bathroom fittings from England. The ballroom was even designed with an innovative natural ventilation system connected via underground ducts to the nearby river, an early example of passive climate control decades before air conditioning became standard. Twelve granite statues dot the surrounding gardens, and the estate’s grandeur was such that Arthur’s wedding reportedly drew the Prince and Princess of Wales as guests, arriving via a special train service arranged between Colombo and Kalutara for the occasion.

A Marriage That Didn’t Last

Despite the elaborate celebration surrounding their union, Arthur and Clarice’s marriage ultimately ended, reportedly without children, after more than three decades together. A grief-stricken Arthur retreated to a hotel in Kandy following the separation, living out the remainder of his life in a single room rather than returning to the castle he had built. He bequeathed his entire wealth to a public trust, with provisions made for his former wife’s care, and died on 8 July 1947 at the age of 59.

Visiting Today

The estate is now managed by the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka and open to the public for touring its architecture and grounds. The 42-acre setting, with its manicured lawns, statues and hilltop views, makes for pleasant unhurried exploration, and the building’s slightly faded, lived-in grandeur only adds to its atmosphere as a genuine historical site rather than a polished museum reconstruction.

Practical Tips

Open for public viewing on weekdays, roughly 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, though hours can vary; check ahead if possible.
Entry fees are modest for locals and somewhat higher for foreign visitors.
Combine with a visit to the Kalutara Bodhiya and Gangatilaka Vihara for a fuller day in the area.
Bring a camera, the estate’s gardens and architecture are genuinely photogenic.

Where It Sits on the Map

Richmond Castle, Palatota, near Kalutara Open in Google Maps ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

Who built Richmond Castle and why?

Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena built it between 1900 and 1910, inspired by the palace of his schoolfriend, the Maharaja of Ramnad in India.

What happened to Don Arthur de Silva?

His marriage to Clarice Suriyabandara eventually ended, and he retreated to a hotel in Kandy, living as a virtual hermit until his death in 1947, having bequeathed the estate to a public trust.

Is Richmond Castle open to visitors?

Yes, it’s owned by the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka and open for public touring, typically on weekdays.

What makes the mansion architecturally notable?

Its blend of materials sourced internationally, Burmese teak, Italian tiles, Scottish stained glass, English ironwork, and an early passive ventilation system in the ballroom.

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