Conservation of Dutch Fort in Negombo

This project is part of a proposal for conservation and preservation of heritage sites with a special reference to the Eastern and Northern Provinces 2009-2012 issued by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage in Sri Lanka under the auspices of the Sri Lanka – Netherlands Cultural Cooperation Programme.

In 1588 the Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot in Negombo. In 1640 the Dutch invaded Negombo and completely demolished the Portuguese fort in 1644 and erected a new fort at the same location. During the Dutch occupation of the Maritime Provinces Negombo was an important fort next to Colombo, Jaffna and Galle. The British took possession of the fort in 1796 with limited resistance from the Dutch. During the late nineteenth century the British demolished a significant portion of the fortifications and most of the buildings of Dutch origin to construct the court house, the Anglican Church and prisons.

At present the gateway to the Negombo Fort is in a ruined state. However, a significant portion of its vaulted brick masonry is still intact. Along with the clock tower, constructed during the British period, it gives a glimpse of the majestic character of the fort. Except the rampart at the eastern side, which is also reduced to a heap of earth overgrown with vegetation, the traces of the ramparts on other sides are hardly visible. The raised mounds at the north and south ends of the earthen rampart, providing locations for the court building and the Anglican Church, can clearly be identified as two bastions. A considerable area of the central court within the fort is now occupied by the Department of Prisons which has resulted in the destroying and or altering significantly the layout and architecture within the central court. However, the physical observation suggests that there could be two buildings of Dutch characteristics within the walled area of the Prison’s Department.
In addition to the vaulted gateway, the ramparts, the two buildings with Dutch and British characteristics, the barrel vaulted structure of the Dutch Period and the clock tower and the Anglican Church of the British period, the character of other buildings including the courts complex and the functions within the fort at present are totally incompatible with the historic character of the site.

Negombo is a coastal town that substantially developed as a major centre of the fishing and tourist industries. There is great potential for the development of leisure seeking tourism in this town. Negombo also has immense potential to provide added value to the tourism sector by promoting the colonial legacy, which is unique to this colonial heritage site.

The project activities will include archaeological investigations, documentation of the present condition, archival and laboratory research necessary for conservation, conservation, rehabilitation of the moat on the landslide and the establishment of a temporary information centre and visitor facility.

OBJECTIVES
The goals of the project include the preservation of the colonial legacy of Negombo in the context of its multicultural and multi religious character. Negombo can be tailored into a showcase which combines beach/marine experiences and colonial legacy. Other objectives are poverty alleviation and the creating of Negombo as a pilot project to convince policy makers, the government officials and the general public of the potential of this heritage site for the developments of tourism and thereby obtain their support to shift the incompatible functions such as the prison and the courts complex from the fort to develop it as a major tourist attraction in Negombo.

RESULTS
The project expects that visitors to Negombo will comprehend and understand the heritage values associated with Negombo, the development of employment opportunities followed by an increase in level of income of the local population. Furthermore entry tickets to heritage sites will generate funds for conservation, management, maintenance of and upgrading of tourist infrastructure facilities. The project will involve the conservation and layout of the main fort and the conservation of Nupe Market.