News
Wanted: A clock and two cannons, as Negombo rebuilds its history
The centuries-old Negombo Fort, which changed hands repeatedly in bloody battles between foreign forces, is to be renovated and careful restoration of other historic sites in the city is under conideration.
City authorities have issued a public plea for the return of three valued artefacts so that they might again grace the structures for which they were designed.
“I am sad to say that the two cannon used here,” Subashini Chandrasoma of the Archaeological Department points to the broken masonry stands in the grounds of the old fort, “and the valuable clock that stood majestically in the clock tower that still looks onto the Negombo lagoon and town, and which was installed to mark Queen Victoria’s Jubilee [in 1887], are missing.
“I appeal to the public if they have any information please inform us. We will take immediate steps to place them here.’
Invasions of Sri Lanka by foreign powers over the years have left the country with treasures in buildings and artefacts, and among the most magnificent relics of that past are the forts built in strategic coastal sites that attract crowds of sightseers.
The Negombo Dutch fort, situated on a narrow strip of land between the Negombo lagoon and an inlet of the sea, is now being renovated by the Archaeological Department.
Built by the Portuguese, the fort was seized by Dutch forces commanded by Philip Lucasz in February 1640, recaptured by the Portuguese in December 1640 and retaken by the Dutch under Francois Caron in January 1644.
In 1672, the Dutch rebuilt the original square fort as an intended pentagonal structure but it had only four bulwarks, with the fifth unbuilt.
The British occupied the fort in February 1796 and in 1800 decided to build a prison in it. This jail still houses a large number of prisoners serving their sentences.
The fort’s walls were demolished so that stone from them could be taken to build the jail. Only a rampart and an arched gateway with the year 1678 inscribed on a large slab of granite are left of the old fort.
The Archaeological Department is taking action to renovate the site at a cost of Rs. 600,000 – not a considerable amount, one might think, given the millions of rupees spent on other constructions. The project is funded by the UNESCO World Cultural Fund.
Mrs. Chandrasoma, who has been serving in the Archaeological Department for more than 30 years, is keen to redeem the fort’s lost glory.
“This is like our own culture,” she said. “Although they were built by foreigners these buildings beautify our culture and their historical value is immeasurable. See how many people are visiting this site every day!”
There are other Dutch-built structures in Negombo of interest to archaeologists. “The adjoining former District Court is the oldest court building built by the Dutch in Sri Lanka. We are going to renovate it too,” Mrs. Chandrasoma said.
“The other building is the Mission House in the Newstead College premises.
“In the current prison premises in the Dutch fort there are a well and a stable used by the Dutch. Behind it is the fort’s gunpowder magazine. It is a wonderful creation. For its ventilation they built openings in a zig-zag style. Those windows let enough air come in but no-one knows how they operated.
“We are doing our utmost to conserve them and bring them to their former glory,” Mrs. Chandrasoma said. “We have all the documents with us and we intend attending to every detail of them.”
Renovation work in progress (above and top)
This picture taken in 1987 shows the clock that is now missing