1.JAMES TYLOR

—JAMES TYLOR—-

                            Loolkandhura                                                                         📍LOCATION                       

                  Traveling from Kandy, take the Galaha Road      (B364) and. continue on the road for 34 kilometers. passing Hindagala, Mahakanda, Galaha and Deltota to reach the entrance to the Loolkandura (Loolecondera) Estate. Turn right at Loolkadura Tea Estate to James Taylor Road to reach your destination. To reach the above landmarks in Loolkandura (Loolecondera) Estate, it is necessary to travel a further 4 kilometers inside the
estate on winding roads.
                  The entrance of the Loolkandura tea estate can be  easily identified with Google Maps.

                         You are going to the upper fields of the Loolkandura estate. The surrounding look will amaze you. First, you will see a small pond just below the road. It's time to stop your vehicle and go there. It looks really beautiful, and it's nice to take some photos. The pond consists of a summer hut in the middle. You have to go there on a wooden bridge. The place is absolutely lovely, wait for a few minutes and enjoy its beauty.

Pond, wooden Bridge,Hut

          The total trek is around 10Km, with 4Km through the estate, and another 1Km to the top of the Kondagala rock.

•THE HISTORY OF JAMES TYLOR

James tylor 

                         JAMES TAYLOR was Born on March 29. 1835 in 'Mosspark Cottage" in Monboddo Estate in Kincardineshire, Scotland. James Taylor was the eldest of his family. The sixteen year-old Scot, son of a modest wheelwright never 1866 to study about tea plantation techniques. Upon his return in 1867, he commenced tea plantation in  loolkandhura   Estate.   By 1872, Taylor possessed a fully equipped tea-house and a rolling machine utilized for tea production.  This rolling machine is considered as the first machine utilized in the tea industry of Sri Lanka.

         Five years after he assumed duties, his employers, Harrison and Leake were impressed by the quality of his work and Taylor was assigned duties at the Loolkandura Estate (then Loolecondera Estate) and instructed him to experiment with tea plants. Peradenia nursery supplied him with his first seeds around 1860. He cleared 19 acres of forest in Hewaheta Lower Division and planted the first seedlings which became a success which finally caused his downfall as well. Ceylon Tea' became a popular brand internationally and large tea companies flocked in to “Ceulon Tea market ”and commenced consolidating small estates. Loolkandura (Loolecondera) Estate, a small tea plantation too was caught in this consolidation and Taylor was eventually dismissed by the estate management. Yet, Taylor remained in Ceylon, instead of returning to his native land.During the forty years he spent in Sri Lanka, he took a holiday and spent it studying tea in Darjeeling.

            James Taylor died of dysentery in Sri Lanka in 02nd May 1892 at the age of 57 years, On Tuesday 3 May 1892, a day after his death, Taylor was taken from the Loolecondera estate where he lived and worked for burial at the Mahaiyawa cemetery near Kandy. Two gangs of 12 estate workers reputedly carried Taylor’s body to his final resting place in appreciation of his noble efforts to establish Tea industry in Ceylon. They alternated every four miles during the 18 mile journey. Among neighbours and friends who attended the ceremony were C.E. Bonner, W.J. Scott, Stopford Sackville, Alexander Philip, and several others who had subscribed to Taylor’s silver tea service. Revd Watt read the funeral service. Buried at “Mahaiyawa Cemetery” in Kandy.

                            JAMES TYLOR’s SEAT

         James Taylor's Seat is located in the Loolkandura Estate which was the first tea estate in Sri Lanka. The first  tea plant was planted by James Taylor back in 1867.He cleared 19 acres of forest and started his tea cultivation which  was a great  success. James Taylor's Seat, This is a rock seat that was used by James Taylor who was the person that started  TEA cultivation in Sri Lanka. From this seat, you  will be able to see amazing views of the surrounding  mountain ranges. 
             The most unique  decision taken by James Taylor was named the estate as "Loolecondera" which the local name for the area while other  British heads gave  only  English  names to places. Eventually, he died at the age of 57,  and tribute was given to him by mesmerizing the places he  used such as James Taylor's Seat.

fIrst TEA plant

• COTTAGE OF JAMES TYLOR 

              
   

Cottage was built in 1865

                                Cottage was in the upper part of the estate. This cottage will meet you just before the Kondagala Summit. But today, you can only see a small part of his cottage. But if you turn left, you will go to another important place. It is a place with a lot of tea trees of great height. The area is considered the first tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Now, they are older than 150 years.

  • KONDAGALA ROCK

ROCK

                Kondagala is a popular hiking destination in Sri Lanka, located on the border of the districts of Kandy.It's a small mountain that's very popular.   due to its surrounding beauty. The    summit    of Kondagala Mountain is an absolutely beautiful place to take some amazing   photographs. 

You can observe some old houses, paddy fields,tea estates, mountains etc..

TEA PLANTATION VEIW

                      

           James Taylor put his heart & soul into cultivating tea. He was never married, his first & last love being tea.

           

         Remains of the equipment used by James Taylor have been shifted to Ceylon Tea Museum & are on display at the “James Taylor Section”at the museum premises.