Scenic Tours and Travels – Sri Lanka – Taylor’s Hill

This heritage property built in Circa 1900’s was commissioned by Mr. Dominic Elwes, a British colonial planter who cultivated Arabica coffee on the gentle sloping hills of his Pattiyagama estate in the picturesque Hewaheta valley. These early plantations emerged close to the hill capital of the historic city of Kandy under the British rule. Large grants of crown land were given to British subjects to cultivate this valuable crop. Mr. Elwes established a coffee plantation complete with a factory and a plantation bungalow. This plantation thrived and prospered till the coffee blight destroyed the crops. James Taylor, a young British planter, who was working in the adjacent estate of Loolukandura, was experimenting with the tea plants from Assam and rapidly this whole area inclusive of Mr. Elwes estate was commercially cultivated with thriving tea which has become a world renowned beverage.

The bungalow which is now called Taylor’s Hill was built by a leading British engineering firm called Walker & Greg. The specification given by Mr. Elwes was that of an English country manor including large drawing rooms, spacious bedrooms and balconies to take in the fabulous views. The bungalow is well positioned at the foothills of the famous Kondagala mountain range reputed for its Leopards and rare Flora and Fauna with a unique rain forest overlooks the Blue Mountain range of Hewahata.