Christ Church Warleigh

The British constructed Christ Church Warleigh, an Anglican church, in Sri Lanka during the 19th century. The Church of Ceylon is in charge of running it. The church, which is a popular tourist site, is one of Sri Lanka's most notable and historic Anglican churches. It is located in Dickoya, close to the Nuwara Eliya District, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, along the Hatton-Norwood route that runs through the Warleigh Division. The Castlereagh Reservoir and tea farms are on each side of the chapel.

The chapel was constructed in 1878 using solid granite stones that were a gift from an Englishman named William Scott. The cemetery has the grave markers of English plantation owners and their family who were unable to return to Britain. In the vast tea gardens of Wanarajah estate, one of the biggest tea estates, charming scenes of ladies picking tea leaves play out close to Dickoya. The foggy hill towns of the Central highlands, which were discovered by British planters who realized that the temperature here is comparable to that of England, have a unique British rural atmosphere thanks to the ancient colonial-era bungalows and structures.

History

When the nation was still a British colony, in 1878, Christ Church was constructed by William Scott, the Governor's Mansion's manager. The Warboys Parish priest, Rev. Charles Hill, gave the church a bible produced in the 1860s in July 1879, and it is still kept there. Sir George William Robert Campbell, who arrived in Ceylon in 1866, is thought to be buried in the graveyard. He served as the first British colonial Inspector General of the Ceylon Police.

Architecture

The church was constructed using the old-style British church design. The church's walls are made of granite stones. An antique pipe organ (piano), an armchair, a wooden pulpit, and a 140 year old Bible are all present in the church's interior.

Stained glass windows from the nineteenth century, which feature brilliant Gothic-style images of Jesus Christ, were originally imported from England. A porcelain baptismal font is embellished with flowery patterns. Floral tiles from England were imported and used to cover the chapel floor. Next to the chapel is a cemetery that has the gravestones of English colonial tea growers.

Near the organ is the lovely porcelain baptismal structure with flower motifs. Beautiful flower tiles that were imported from England are used to cover the floor, and copper plates with Bible quotations are used to decorate the granite walls.

With Castlereagh Reservoir as a backdrop, the church's grounds are littered with stone and marble grave markers of all shapes and sizes, providing photographers with a visual feast. The majority of the grave markers are well-kept, weed-free, and flanked by flower shrubs. It provides the location a perfect beauty while also serving as a reminder of those who are buried there. These grave markers at the cemetery beside the church really contain the remains of British colonial planters, and they have been conserved and protected.

We came across several striking inscriptions while strolling through the cemetery that would likely evoke memories for any visiting descendants. In contrast to the sky, the ornately carved, towering tombstones with writings inscribed on them stand tall. While some of these grave markers were purchased from Colombo's funeral homes, others were purchased straight from England.

We carefully examined these grave markers while circling them in the messy church property rear before discovering the marker for a British planter called Michael Turnbull (1921–1977) who retired to Britain. He had sent for his ashes to be placed here since he had liked the hill country so much. Since the cemetery only had a little amount of space, the keeper informed us that there is no room left. The church holds English-language services on the first and third Sundays of each month. Visitors and worshipers can always get assistance from the on-site caretaker.

According to the keeper, Britons frequently come to Christ Church Warleigh to pay their respects to loved ones who were interred here in the cemetery more than a century ago. Visitors can come from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Whatever your faith, if you enjoy history, you should visit this old church when you next travel to the Central Highlands.

Google Map:

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