Who designed the Colombo Fort Clock Tower?

The tower was designed by Emily Elizabeth Ward, wife of Governor Sir Henry George Ward, and constructed by the Public Works Department under John Flemming Churchill. It was completed and formally commissioned in early 1857. The attribution to Ward is notable, as it was unusual for the era to credit a woman with the design of a major public building.

When was the Colombo lighthouse decommissioned?

The lighthouse function of the tower was decommissioned on 12 July 1952. By that time, the growth of surrounding buildings in Colombo Fort had obscured the light beam, making it ineffective for maritime navigation. The Galle Buck Lighthouse on Marine Drive was erected as its replacement.

Who made the clock mechanism in the Colombo Clock Tower?

The clock was made by Dent, a celebrated London clockmaker also responsible for the movement in the Elizabeth Tower at Westminster Palace — the clock associated with Big Ben. The mechanism was originally commissioned in 1814 but was not installed in the tower until 1857.

How tall is the Colombo Fort Clock Tower?

The tower stands 29 metres (approximately 95 feet) tall. At the time of its completion in 1857, it was the tallest structure in Colombo. It remains a prominent feature of the Colombo Fort streetscape today.

Can I go inside the Old Colombo Lighthouse?

The tower is not open to the public for interior visits. It stands in a busy commercial and administrative district and can be viewed and photographed freely from the surrounding streets. The Fort area around it offers considerable interest for anyone exploring on foot.

How do I get to the Colombo Clock Tower from the airport?

The tower is located in Colombo Fort, roughly 30 to 35 kilometres south of Bandaranaike International Airport depending on the route taken. Private transfers and taxis are the most convenient options, and the journey typically takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half depending on traffic conditions.

What is the best time to visit Colombo Fort and the Clock Tower?

Early morning on a weekday tends to be the most comfortable time to explore Colombo Fort on foot, as traffic and midday heat are both lighter. The Fort district retains its colonial-era street layout, and walking between landmarks before 9 a.m. gives a clearer sense of the area's architecture without the congestion of peak business hours.

Old Colombo Lighthouse and Clock Tower

Old Colombo Lighthouse or Colombo Fort Clock Tower is a clock tower and was a lighthouse in Colombo. The lighthouse is no longer operational, but the tower remains and functions as a clock tower. It is located at the junction of Chatham Street and Janadhipathi Mawatha (formerly Queens Road) in Colombo fort.

History

The tower was constructed as a clock tower in 1856-57 and completed on the 25 February 1857. The tower was designed by Emily Elizabeth Ward, the wife of Governor Sir Henry George Ward (1797 – 1860). The construction was undertaken by the Public Works Department, under the supervision of Mr John Flemming Churchill (Director General of Public Works). The 29-metre-high (95 ft) tower was the tallest structure in Colombo at that time. The original clock was commissioned for £1,200 in 1814 by the then Governor Sir Robert Brownrigg (1759 – 1833) but was kept in a warehouse, due to economic reasons, until 1857 when it was finally installed. The lighthouse was deactivated after its light became obscured by nearby buildings and was decommissioned on 12 July 1952. The modern Galle Buck Lighthouse was erected on Marine Drive as its replacement.

Features

The original Colombo lighthouse was located on a bastion on the ocean edge of the fort, was a neo-classical structure, with a 23 m (75 ft) wooden light tower rising from a two-storey circular brick building and surrounded by an elaborate colonnade.[5] It was erected in 1829 and subsequently demolished with the removal of the fort ramparts between 1869 and 1871. The clock mechanism was constructed by the renowned English clockmakers, Dent, who were also responsible for manufacturing the clock ('Big Ben') at Westminster Palace in 1852. The clock tower was formally commissioned on 25 March 1857. The bells in the clock tower consisted of a main bell of approx. 150 kg (550 lb) and two auxiliary bells of 152 kg (335 lb).