Historic Christ Church of Galle Face (ගාලු මුවදොර ඓතිහාසික ක්‍රිස්තු දේවස්ථානය)

56 years ago8 months ago03 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

Colorized photo of the Historic Christ Church of Galle Face - cicra 1900 — Colorized photo of the Historic Christ Church of Galle Face – cicra 1900

Hidden behind foliage, near the Ramada Hotel and next to the Victoria Masonic Temple, lies one of the oldestchurches of Sri Lanka. Initially built in Kabook in 1864 and rebuilt in cement in 1898, it was designed by British architect R. W. Edis for the Church Missionary Society.

The Beginning

The story of this church traces back to a meeting of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in London in 1799, a decision that would eventually lead to the establishment of a small cathedral in Colombo. With GBP 960 provided by the CMS, supplemented by generous local donations, and a design offered free of charge by British architect W. A. Tunstall, the first church took shape, built largely from kabook (laterite stone).

The foundation stone was laid on 21 January 1853 by the Bishop of Colombo, Rt. Revd. Chapman, and the church was formally opened for worship on 13 October 1853.

However, by the late 19th century, Colombo’s relentless monsoon rains proved too harsh for the kabook structure. In 1897, the west wall collapsed, prompting a complete reconstruction. The new building, designed in Gothic style and constructed with brick, measured 127 by 88 feet (39 by 27 meters) at a cost of Rs. 34,150. Its foundation stone was laid on 14 June 1898 by Bishop R. S. Copleston.

Over the decades, further renovations and changes followed, significantly altering the original design of the church.

Architectural Beauty

The present structure is an example of early Gothic style. Its pointed arch nave arcade, king-post roof bracing, and soaring buttresses give the impression of a building reaching heavenward. Inside, light streams through exquisite stained-glass windows—the East window behind the altar and the Rose window above the entrance are particularly captivating. Intricate timber carvings embellish the pews and stands, while the mosaic floor displays elegant geometric patterns.

Modern additions brought electricity in 1914. The belfry, constructed in 1918 and dedicated in 1919, rises 76 feet (23 metres) and houses a one-ton bell donated by the widow of Lt. W. Mitchell. A cross, added in 1954, crowns the church.

The walls themselves serve as a record of history, with marble plaques commemorating colonial rulers, missionaries, and young lives lost too soon. One particularly poignant plaque recalls Cedric Lam Yun Hung Paktsun, a 15-year-old soldier and scout who drowned in Beira Lake while saving a friend, just three days after his baptism here.

A Changing Landscape

Through the 20th century, the church’s landholding steadily diminished. In 1961, its adjoining night school was taken over by the government. In 1978, 34 perches were claimed for the Duplication Road project, and in 1981, another 40 perches were sold to Hatton National Bank.

Now surrounded and overshadowed by skyscrapers, hotels, restaurants, and the energy of Colombo’s nightlife, the church remains a rare sanctuary. For those seeking peace and solitude in the midst of the city’s bustle, it continues to offer quiet refuge and timeless grace.

References

Manathunga, S. B. (2020). කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය: පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක (3rd ed.). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka. (Original work published 2005)
Renuka. (n.d.). Church history. Christ Church Galle Face | Church of Ceylon | Anglican Church | CMS Cathedral. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://christchurchgalleface.org/church-history

Also See

Map of the Historic Christ Church of Galle Face

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.

Travel Directions to Historic Christ Church of Galle Face

Distance from Fort Railway Station to Historic Christ Church of Galle Face

Distance: 2.5 km
Travel time : 10 min
Driving Directions: see on Google map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Mandur Archaeological Site in Kiran (මණ්ඩූර් පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period Mandur Archaeological Site in Kiran sits within marshy terrain near a tributary of Maduru Oya. It features two ruined building complexes with scattered stone pillars up to 5 meters long, heavily damaged by human activity yet preserving distinct ancient tool marks. […]
Kallichchai Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කල්ලිච්චෛ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Kallichchai Monastic Ruins in Kiran feature a forest stupa breached by treasure hunters, exposing its inner chamber. Nearby artifacts include scattered stone pillars, a fragmented octagonal Yūpa Stambhaya (central pillar), and a circular Chatra Gala (umbrella stone). […]
Harakagala Buddhist Monastic Ruins (හරකාගල බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Harakagala Monastic Ruins in Kiran date to the Early Anurādhapura period. Situated on a rocky outcrop near a reservoir, the complex features a brick stupa foundation, a cave with a Brāhmī inscription, a massive multi-story pillared building, and a stone chatragala (umbrella). […]
Vadamunai Dastota Wewa Reservoir (වඩමුනෛ වැව)
The Vadamunai Dastota Wewa Reservoir in Kiran is a large 650-acre irrigation system with a 920-meter embankment dating to the 2nd century CE. Identified as Vadamanaka in a Nelugala rock inscription, it sustained a prosperous Anurādhapura-period agricultural economy and a dense network of surrounding Buddhist monastic communities. […]
Karakpattiyadi Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කරක්පට්ටියඩි කැලයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Karakpaṭṭiyadi monastic ruins in Vakarai feature a heavily pillaged stupa with a 3-meter-deep pit and a 4-meter stone pillar. The jungle site includes a northern brick structure, a circular southern foundation, a Siri Pathula stone, and subterranean walls. […]
Omadiyamadu Archaeological Site (ඕමඩියාමඩු පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period Ōmaḍiyāmadu Archaeological Site in Vakarai sits on a rocky terrace. Heavily destroyed during local village resettlement activities, its original structures are unidentifiable, leaving only scattered stone pillars, brick fragments, and rubble collapsed down the rock slope. […]
Palm Leaf Fan Carved Rock in Vakare (වාකරේ වටාපත් කැටයම් සහිත පර්වතය)
Located in Vakarai, this late Anurādhapura-period site features a unique carving of a traditional palm leaf fan (Vāṭapatha) on a rocky outcrop's northeast side. No other clear structures exist, though various loose stones lie at the rock's base. […]
Drip Ledged Cave near Omadiyamadu Reservoir (ඕමඩියාමඩු වැව අසළ කටාරම් සහිත ලෙන)
The Rock Cave near the Ōmaḍiyāmadu Reservoir is an Early Anurādhapura-period monastic site. Facing north on a rocky outcrop, the cave features a continuously carved drip-ledge around its entrance designed to deflect rainwater from the interior living space. […]
Sitamalai Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (සීතාමලායි පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Sītāmalai Monastic Ruins in Vakarai are centered on a 90×90-meter rocky outcrop. The site features a damaged brick-and-rubble stupa visible up to its first basal ring, a brick foundation eastward, and two building sites at its southern foot. […]
Omadiyamadu Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ඕමඩියාමඩු වනයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period stupa ruins in the Ōmeḍiyāmadu Forest, Vakarai, sit atop a rock formation. Treasure hunters have damaged the small, dilapidated stupa by digging a 2.5-meter-deep pit into its dome. Excavated bricks and stone debris lie scattered nearby. […]
Padigala (Padiettanamalei) Buddhist Monastic Ruins (පඩිගල පඩිඑත්තනමලෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Paḍigala Monastic Ruins in Vakarai feature a ruined brick stupa atop a rock plateau, reached by an ornamental 69-step stone staircase. The complex includes large building foundations, primitive moonstones, and pottery, though treasure hunter activity has severely damaged the site. […]
Archaeological Site near Kayankerni School (කායංකේණි පාසල අසල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period archaeological site near Kayaṅkerni School in Vakarai features five short stone pillars from a three-row structure. Characterized by distinct chisel marks, the palm-covered site also contains scattered broken pillars, ancient roof tiles, and stone slabs. […]
Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)
The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (3) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 3)
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area. […]
Ambewela New Zealand Farm (අඹේවෙල නවසීලන්ත සත්ව ගොවිපල)
Ambewela is a small town in Nuwara Eliya district popularly known for its 2 dairy farms called “Ambewela Farm” and “New Zealand Farm”. The wide grasslands Ambewela lies 6,064 ft (1,848 m) above sea level. The maximum temperature of this area is about 23° C and the lowest goes down to about 9° C. […]
Mahaweli Flood Plains National Park (මහවැලි ජලගැලුම් නිම්න ජාතික වනෝද්‍යානය)
Established in 1984 under the Mahaweli Project, Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa features vital villu wetlands. It serves as a crucial elephant migration corridor between Wasgamuwa and Somāwathiya parks while hosting an ancient cave monastery dating back to the 2nd century BCE. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]