Tangalle Dutch Fort

The Tangalle Dutch fort is a small fort situated within the coastal town of Tangalle, along the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The Dutch, who had recognised the importance of Tangalle used this town as a significant anchorage.

Highlights

  • Th Dutch used the town as a significant anchorage
  • It is a small fort and was used as a prison in the middle of the 19th century
  • To this day it is still being used as a prison by the Department of Prisons Sri Lanka

Overview

Unlike the other forts built by the Dutch, this fort has no ramparts. There are four walls of 12 meters in height, bordering an area similar in shape to a rhombus. The British, who gained control of the country after chasing away the Dutch, too used Tangalle as an anchorage. Later on they made many alterations to this fort and converted it into a prison in the middle of the 19th century. Until recently, this old fort was being used as a prison by the Department of Prisons Sri Lanka.