British Garrison Cemetery of Kandy

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Above Kandy Lake lies a small oblong clearing, bordered on three sides by dense jungle. The ground is overgrown with wild weeds and creeping grasses, while within the space a scattering of tombstones can be seen. Alongside them, simple black headboards mark the graves, recording only names and dates of death. This site is known as the British Garrison Cemetery of Kandy.

The burial ground is an oblong plot of land shaded by hills and overlooking Kandy Lake. Its borders are marked by tall wild grass, while inside, well-trimmed lawns scattered with flowers surround the tombs of Europeans who had died in Kandy and nearby regions.

Historical Observations

J. P. Lewis, writing before 1913, noted that the number of graves was far greater than those marked by inscriptions. Many were anonymous, holding the remains of strangers whose stories remained untold. He described it as the “European graveyard of Kandy” in his 1913 publication List of Inscriptions on Tombstones and Monuments in Ceylon.

“A stranger visiting this spot would be charmed at the magnificent scenery which surrounds it. The silvery waters of the lake lap the shore just below, whilst the city itself, with its marrying and giving in marriage, its din and tumult, lies a few hundred yards to the west, Across the lake the wooded slopes of the Mahapatana, crowded with English bungalows rise some thousands of feet in the skies, whilst the Hantane mountains slope gently down to the Peradeniya plain, and the distant summits of Alagalla, Batalakanda, and Lapulakanda close in the view on the far off horizon. In this lonely spot lie many hundreds of kindly Scots, who cut off in the very prime and vigour of their manhood, sleep the sleep which knows no waking, under the rank weeds and wiry grasses which cover their neglected graves. Many a sad tale of hardship, agony and pain, could the tenants of these nameless graves tell, were they permitted to speak”.

Atmosphere and Notable Tombs

The broken fluted column of masonry with marble tablet at the burial site of John D'Oyly at the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy — The broken fluted column of masonry with marble tablet at the burial site of John D’Oyly at the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy

Among the tombs, the most significant is that of Sir John D’Oyly, the British diplomat central to the 1815 Kandyan Convention that annexed Kandy to the Crown. He later became the first commissioner administering Kandyan affairs and resided in the former royal palace, now the Archaeology Museum. Decorated as a Baronet, D’Oyly was remembered for his scholarship in Sinhala and his Sketch of the Constitution of the Kandyan Kingdom. His tombstone, a fluted masonry column with a marble tablet, remains prominent.

In memory of the Hon’ble Sir John Doyly, Baronet, Resident of theKandyan Provinces, and one of the members of his Majesty’s Council of this Island.
Whose Meritorious Services to this Government from the year 1802 and his talents during the Kandyan War stand recorded in the Archives of this Government and in the office of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Born June 11th, 1774.
Died at Kandy, May 25th, 1824.
Aged 49 years.
He was the second son of the Rev. Matthias Doyly, late Archdeacon of Lewes in Sussex.
And this Memorial is erected by his three surviving brothers.

Lieutenant-General John Fraser, another notable figure, is also buried here. Best known for constructing the satinwood bridge over the Mahaveli Ganga at Peradeniya—an engineering marvel without nails or bolts—he also played a crucial role in road building and mapping. His severity in suppressing the 1818 Uva rebellion earned him the nickname “Cheetah Fraser.”

Stories of Lives Cut Short

The oldest identified tombstone belongs to Captain James McGlashan (1791–1817), moved to the cemetery in the 1890s from Lady Longdon’s Drive. He succumbed to fever after travelling recklessly from Trincomalee drenched in rain. McGlashan had previously distinguished himself in European battles, including Spain and Portugal.

Another tragic tale is that of John Spottiswood Robertson (1823–1856), the seventh and last European in Ceylon recorded as killed by wild elephants. William Robert Lyte (1846–1865), grandson of the author of the hymn Abide with Me, also rests here, having died at only 19.

Among the women buried is Lady Elizabeth Gregory (1817–1873), wife of Governor William Henry Gregory (1872–77). Her raised granite tomb, enclosed by an iron railing, is distinctive. Another moving memorial belongs to Oteline Rudd (1822–1857), wife of an early planter ruined by the 1847–48 coffee crisis. Her family’s tragedy is marked by a small stone dedicated to five infant sons, G. and M. Wait, dated 1873.

A Historic Record in Stone

Though initially viewed as melancholic, the cemetery gradually reveals itself as a living historical record, recalling British administrators, diplomats, soldiers, and planters, as well as their families, who lived and died in a distant land.

At the gate, the old chapel now serves as a mini-museum displaying photographs and documents related to the cemetery’s restoration.

Present Condition

Today, around 195 graves have been identified. Managed by the trustees of St. Paul’s Church, the cemetery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. While no new burials are allowed, exceptions are made for descendants of those already interred.

References

Lewis, J. (1913). List of Inscriptions on Tombstones and Monuments in Ceylon, of Historical or Local Interest, With an Obituary of Persons Uncommemorated. H. C. COTTLE.

Also See

Kandy – The Last Kingdom of Sinhale

Map of the Garrison Cemetery of Kandy

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Driving Directions to Garrison Cemetery of Kandy

Kandy can be reached from Colombo via the old Colombo-Kandy road (option 1), which is scenic but heavily congested, especially on Fridays and Sundays. However, the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route, which is longer but less cumbersome.

Route 1 from Colombo to Kandy	Route 2 from Colombo to Kandy
Through: Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Warakapola – Kegalle – Kadugannawa Distance: 121 km Travel Time: 4.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.