Richmond Castle was constructed by a privileged young man as a feat of wooing the girl of his dreams, of which he was successful. He was inspired by the great palaces of the maharajas of India. Today it’s a great place to visit if you are in the vicinity of beach hotels in Sri Lanka, down south.
The History
Born to a wealthy planter, Don Arthur De Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardene was educated in Britain with friends who were princes and high ranked officials. He was best friends with the Maharaja of Ramnad and it was his palatial residence that inspired him to construct Richmond Castle. Thanks to his father’s influence, he was given a high official posting by the British and he wanted to woo the beautiful Clarice Mathilda Maud Suriyabandara, which was why he built the mansion. He was successful and the couple married, moving into Richmond Castle.
The Architecture
Richmond Castle stretches across 42 acres it has 99 doors and 38 windows. The supplies used to build it was imported from abroad. The architectural influence was taken from both Eastern and Western kinds. Traditional elite Sri Lankan latticework and country bungalow courtyards and Roman-Dutch styles.
The Ending
Though the couple were childless and died alone and away from each other, the grand spectacle of the mansion still remains, and you can visit if you are staying nearby like at Mermaid Hotel & Club.
| Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+ |
