Ruins of the Dutch Stable son Delft Island

Ruins of the Dutch Stable on Delft Island - ඩෙල්ෆ් දුපතේ පැරණි ලංදේසි අශ්වගාල නටබුන්

Delft Island covers approximately 11,500 acres (4,654 hectares) and is a low-lying, arid island. Much of the island is relatively bare, with little natural shade. The Palmyra tree is the most common tree found here, and Palmyra toddy is one of the island’s principal food products.

[Google Ad 01 -EN]

Historical Occupation

Delft Island was occupied successively by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Apart from the Portuguese fort, many of the surviving ruins on the island date from the Dutch or British periods. The island also served as a major horse-breeding center from the Portuguese period through the subsequent periods of Dutch and British control. Although the British initially continued to use the island for horse breeding, reports indicate that horse breeding had been completely discontinued by 1906.

Dutch Horse Stable

The ruins of an ancient stable can be found on the western side of the island, approximately 380 meters inland from the sea. The structure is about 150 meters long and 10 meters wide, with one complete side wall still surviving. The stable was constructed on two rows of 36 large square pillars, each approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) thick. Some of these pillars have completely collapsed, while the stumps of others remain standing.

Although these stables are generally believed to have been constructed by the Dutch, Philip K. Crowe, the United States Ambassador, provided a detailed account of Delft Island in 1954 based on his experiences there. During his visit, Crowe was able to document aspects of the island’s more recent British history, helping to clarify the identity of some of its monuments and archaeological remains. According to Crowe (1954), an Irish lieutenant named Lt. Nolan, who served in the 4th Ceylon Regiment and was responsible for the administration of the outlying island of Delft during the early nineteenth century, was assigned responsibility for raising horses on the island in 1811. Crowe reported that Nolan constructed three sets of elaborate stone stables as well as an ingenious system of wells for watering the horses.

Lt. Nolan’s Vehicle

Lt. Nolan’s official vehicle reportedly remained on Delft Island in working condition until the 1970s. During the civil conflict, however, it is reported to have fallen into the sea while LTTE terrorists were attempting to transport it to the mainland.

Ruins of Lt. Nolan’s house in Delft Island who is been credited for building 3 stable buildings in the island according to Philip K. Crowe
source : Development of Delft Island: An ecological, socio-economic and archaeological assessment.

References

Lewis, J., 1909. NOTES ON DELFT. The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 21(62), pp.341-360.
කෝරළගේ, එස්. බී. and කල්ප අසංක, එම්. වී. ජී. , 2017. යාපනය දිස්ත්‍රික්කය. 1st ed. කොළඹ: පුරාවිද්‍යා දෙපාර්තුමේන්තුව, p.91.
S. de A. Goonatilake, S. Ekanayake, T.P. Kumara, D. Liyanapathirana, D.K. Weerakoon and A. Wadugodapitiya, 2013. Sustainable Development of Delft Island: An ecological, socio-economic and archaeological assessment. Number 14. Colombo: IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Colombo.
Crowe, P., 1957. Diversions of a Diplomat in Ceylon … Illustrated by P.E.P. Deraniyagala. [With a map.]. London: D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY, INC, pp. 29-32

Also See

Map of Ruins of the Dutch Stable on Delft Island

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 approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information on these sites

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

Traveling Directions to Jaffna (Ruins of the Dutch Stable on Delft Island)

Jaffna can be reached through two principal routes. The most commonly used approach is via Elephant Pass, which has long served as the traditional gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula.

An alternative route reaches Jaffna from the direction of Pooneryn by crossing the Sangupiddy Bridge. This crossing follows what was historically the ancient route to the peninsula before the construction of modern highways. The route provides a connection between Jaffna and the Mannar region.

Route 01 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Kurunegala (Popular Route)	Route 02 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Puttalam and Pooneryn (Lesser Traveled Route)
Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance: 410 km Travel Time: 7-8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Puttalam – Thantirimale – Mannar – Poonaryn Distance: 408 km Travel Time: 8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.

From Jaffna to Ruins of the Dutch Stable on Delft Island

Total distance: 32 km
Duration: With boat trip (between 2-3 hours)
Driving directions: See Google Map (Kurikadduwan Jetty)

⚙️ [Google Ad 02 (bottom)]