Adisham Bungalow | AmazingLanka.com

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(15 votes, average: 3.87 out of 5)

Perched amidst the misty hills of Haputale, Adisham Bungalow is a stunning Tudor-style mansion built between 1927 and 1931 by a British planter. Surrounded by lush gardens and panoramic mountain views, this tranquil retreat now houses a monastery, preserving its old-world charm and serene atmosphere.

Adisham Bungalow, also known as Adisham Hall, is a historic country house nestled in the misty hills of Haputale in Sri Lanka’s Badulla District. Constructed between 1927 and 1931, the bungalow was the residence of Sir Thomas Lister Villiers, an English aristocrat and planter who served as the chairman of George Steuart Co., one of Sri Lanka’s oldest trading companies. The architectural design of the bungalow reflects Tudor and Jacobean styles, reminiscent of English country houses, and was inspired by Leeds Castle in Kent.

Adisham Bungalow is currently operated by the Sylvestro Benedictine Congregation, a Roman Catholic monastic order. Since 1963, the bungalow has functioned as a monastery dedicated to Saint Benedict and is now known as the Adisham Monastery of Saint Benedict.

The monks who reside there maintain the property, and a portion of the house is open to the public on specific days. Visitors to Adisham Bungalow can explore its well-preserved interiors, which include antique furniture, a library filled with vintage books, and a chapel housing a relic of St. Sylvester. The bungalow is surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens and is adjacent to the Thangamale Bird Sanctuary, making it a serene retreat for nature lovers and those interested in colonial-era architecture.

Adisham Bungalow Entrance Ticket Prices and Opening Times

Description	Cost
Adult (Local)	LKR 250
Adult (Foreign)	LKR 500

Adisham Bungalow is open on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and Bank Holidays from 9 AM to 4.30 PM. It’s always advisable to check if it opened a few days before, as this is a functioning monastery.

History of Adisham Bungalow

Adisham Bungalow exudes the enduring presence of its original owner, Sir Thomas Lister Villiers, whose legacy still lingers in the stately home. Born in 1869 at Adisham Rectory in Kent, England, Villiers was the son of Reverend Henry Montague Villiers and the grandson of Lord John Russell, who served twice as Prime Minister of Britain.

In 1887, Villiers arrived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) with just £10 to his name. Despite his privileged upbringing and public school education, he chose adventure over a conventional career in England. He began as a trainee planter—known locally as a “creeper”—on the Elbedde Estate in Bogawantalawa. After marrying the daughter of a tea planter in 1896, he briefly lived in Brazil before returning to Ceylon to establish his own estate, the Dikoya Group.

His career took a significant turn in 1905 when he joined the Colombo-based trading and estate agency firm, George Steuart & Co. He rose through the ranks to become its chairman in 1928, a role he held until his retirement in 1948. Villiers also contributed to the political landscape of Ceylon during this time.

While serving as chairman, he began building his dream home in Haputale, selecting a picturesque site surrounded by unspoiled forest and dramatic views of Sri Lanka’s highest mountain ranges. The house, constructed in the Tudor style and inspired by Leeds Castle in Kent, featured solid granite walls, narrow turret windows, and stately chimneys—an English country manor transplanted into the tropics.

No expense was spared. The roof was covered in flat Burma teak shingles, and the interiors were finished with rich Burma teak woodwork, including doors, paneling, and a grand staircase. The landing of the main staircase was built from polished English oak, adorned with portraits of Villiers’ aristocratic relatives, including the Dukes of Bedford and the Clarendon family.

The bungalow’s gardens echoed British landscaping traditions, complete with terraced lawns, flowerbeds, and an orchard. All main rooms—including the library, drawing room, and bedrooms—offered stunning views of the mountainous skyline known as the Sleeping Warrior, at elevations between 1,800 and 2,100 meters above sea level.

Villiers imported fine English furnishings—period furniture, linen, silverware, and porcelain—and named the estate Adisham, after his Kentish birthplace. He cultivated roses, Albertines, honeysuckle, strawberries, apples, and plums in the cool mountain air. Even his Daimler car was driven by an English chauffeur.

Adisham became a hub for Ceylon’s elite. Its guest list included governors and other distinguished visitors. Lady Villiers, a talented artist, decorated the home with her marine-themed oil paintings and watercolors. The couple had two sons, both of whom tragically died young. Their only grandson, Stephen, recently visited the estate with a BBC crew for a documentary.

After Sir Thomas returned to Kent and passed away in 1959, Adisham was sold to Sedawatte Mills in 1949. In 1961, the Roman Catholic Church acquired the property and its 12-acre grounds, converting it into a monastery and novitiate for the Congregation of St. Sylvester, a missionary order that arrived in Ceylon in the 1840s.

Today, the monks maintain Adisham in impeccable condition. The drawing room remains as it was, with polished William IV furniture, Axminster carpets, and shelves of oak-bound books. A Dutch marquetry card table holds a half-played game of patience, while a Georgian gate-legged table is laid with Wedgwood jasper china for tea. Though the grand Regency clock has stopped, the atmosphere remains unchanged, as though Sir Thomas himself might walk in at any moment.

Outside, the terrace overlooks rose-filled lawns and a thriving natural bird sanctuary, where vibrant birds like paradise flycatchers, blue magpies, golden orioles, and hornbills flit through the trees. The surrounding orchards, once planted by Villiers, now yield strawberries, guavas, and Seville oranges, lovingly maintained by the monks and local villagers.

While Adisham is not a commercial guesthouse or museum, it does offer limited accommodation for up to 12 guests, primarily those seeking a Christian spiritual retreat in an atmosphere of profound peace and solitude. The large rooms are simple yet comfortable, with some of the most spectacular mountain views in the country. Meals are modest but delicious, and the experience is one of quiet reflection, natural beauty, and deep serenity.

How to get there

Buses from Colombo to Badulla (Route 99) pass through Haputale, the nearest town to Adisham, and you can take a local taxi from there. The best way to travel to Haputale is by train, 1st class sleeper or the observation car from Fort Railway Station.

Proceed along the Colombo Road (main street) up to the end of the Bazaar and take the upper road to the Police station, proceed 2 miles passing the Buddhist Temple and then take a left for and half mile till you Reach Adisham, an old English Maner first owned By Sir Thomas Villers, now run by Catholic priests.

Also See

Map of Adisham Bungalow in Haputale

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.