Martello Tower at Hambantota | AmazingLanka.com

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A legacy of our colonial past

The immediate action of the colonial rulers who conquered the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka then Ceylon, was to take measures to ensure their secured power. They followed various kinds of tactics to defend their power and set up fortresses and defence towers where there were major threats to their domination.

The historical fortresses at Galle and Matara depict their architectural competence and defence expertise. Though the Martello Tower at Hambantota is not spread over a large area, it could also be considered a defence watchtower. Visitors to this historical seaport town of Hambantota through the western gateway, will not fail to see from afar, adjoining the sentinel-like lighthouse the prominent historical landmark the Martello Tower at the tip of the seaside promontory.

This defence watchtower is a relic of the colonial era, believed to be a Dutch fortification, but in fact built during the British Period.

Based on correspondence between Dutch officials preserved in the National Archives, Wisumperuma (2015) states that it is clear that the construction of the tower was initiated by Major General D.D. Wemyss, Commander of the Forces in Ceylon, who directed Lieutenant William Gosset of the Royal Engineers to build a round tower capable of accommodating fifty people. The construction of the Martello Tower began in October or November of 1804 and was still ongoing in May 1805. However, the documents do not provide the exact date of the tower’s completion.

The origins of the Martello Tower trace back to a tower at Martella Point, where a small French garrison defended the entrance to a port north of Corsica. In 1794, this solitary round tower, manned by the French, managed to inflict significant damage on British naval forces while sustaining minimal harm from their bombardment. When the British eventually captured the area by attacking from the land, they closely studied the tower, impressed by its near-indestructibility, solid stone construction, and roof-mounted guns (Nelson, 1984, pp. 69–71).

From 1796 to 1815, the British constructed over 190 Martello Towers, inspired by the design of the tower at Martella Point. Over time, these towers evolved into more sophisticated structures. However, the tower at Martella Point had a short lifespan. In the autumn of 1794, when the British decided to withdraw from the Mediterranean, including Corsica, they destroyed the tower to ensure it would never pose a threat to them again (Sutcliffe, 1973).

Anyone looking at the sea from the top of the Martello Tower could see as far as 25 miles of the Indian Ocean. This is the only one of this kind in Sri Lanka and one of the few in the world. Visitors to Europe would come across only a few in countries such as France and Germany, while others have been destroyed by war or the ravages of time.

References

Nelson, W. A. (1984). The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon. Canongate Publishing Limited.
Sutcliffe, S. (1973). Martello Towers. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press.
Wisumperuma, D. (2015). The Date of the Martello Tower in Hambantota. Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, New Series Volume 60(01), 62–75.

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Route from Colombo to Martello Tower at Hambantota	Route from Colombo to Martello Tower at Hambantota
Through : Panadura – Ratnapura – Embilipitiya Distance : 220 km Travel time : 5 hours Driving directions : see on google map	Though : Matara – Tangalle Distance : 250 km Travel time : 5 hours Driving directions : see on google map

A legacy of our colonial past

References

Also See

Map of Martello Tower at Hambantota

Driving Directions to Martello Tower at Hambantota

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