Richmond Castle is an Edwardian mansion, located near Kalutara.

Built between 1900

and 1910, it was formally the country seat of Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva
Wijesinghe Siriwardena. The building is currently owned by the Public Trustee and
open to the public.[1][2]

The house sits on a hill 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Kalutara, adjoining the Kalu Ganga
River at Palatota,[3] on a 42 acres (17 ha) estate beside the Kalutara-Palatota
Road.

History

Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena photographed 22 December 1919

The building was constructed by a local landowner and philanthropist, Padikara
Mudali Nanayakkara Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe
Siriwardena (12 November 1889 – 8 July 1947). Srirwardena studied in Britain and on
completion of his studies he was bestowed the position of Mudaliyar by the King,
returning to Ceylon to take up the position.

The mansion was built based on a similar plan of a castle in India, which was owned
by Srirwardena's schoolmates, Raja Rajeswara Sethupathi, the Raja of Ramnad.
Sriwardena had requested a copy of the building plans from the Sethupathi, but was
refused with the advice the Ceylonese were not capable of undertaking such a large
construction project. This inspired Sriwardena to visit the Raja with two local
architects, who secretly drew plans of the castle.[1][4]

Richmond Castle is a two-storey building with sixteen rooms, 99 doors and 34

windows.[4] All essential supplies for the building were sourced from abroad,
including floor tiles from Italy, teak from Burma (used to construct the main
staircase), window panes, decorated with glass depicting grapevines, from Scotland,
and an iron stair and bathroom fittings from England. Srirwardena moved into
Richmond Castle upon his marriage to Clarice Matilda Maude Suriyabandara in 1910.
[1] The marriage took place in St. Mary's Church, Kalamulla.

The couple spent 32 years together however they were unable to have children.
Srirwenda bequeathed his properties to the Public Trustee, with the request that
the castle was converted to a children's home. Srirwardena died on 8 July 1947[1]
and from 1956 the Richmond Castle has been taken care by the Public Trustee
Department of Sri Lanka