All in the family
History of Rosyth Estate
Records retained at the Estate House trace the history of the acquisition of land for the estate from the 1920s, and how the tea pluckers who were brought from South India during the early 20th century were housed in “The Lines”, simple one-room houses, which remain today.
The Estate owners were responsible for the total management of the migrant workers including recording the employment history, births, deaths and marriages within the community of the estate.
Built in 1926, The Estate House is an old colonial planter’s bungalow set in a 62 acre private working tea and rubber estate. The Estate has a rich history; originally part of a 350 acre estate it was developed by Aollin Ondaatje, a local Kegalle family & whose great-nephew is the well-known author Michael Ondaatje.
Rosyth transferred through a number of owners before being acquired by Richard Spittal, a famous Sri Lankan doctor often referred to as the Surgeon of the Wild, his daughter and her husband before being broken up during land reform in the 1970’s.
Inspired by nature
The Estate House and 62 acre plantation were purchased by the Marikkar family in 1978 and remain in the family today
The Estate House and 62 acre plantation was purchased by the Marikkar family in 1978 and remains in the family today. After a period of 30 years of not being inhabited, the Estate House was completely refurbished in 2010 and over the coming years was transformed into a luxury boutique hotel.
Given the fact the valley in which the Estate House is situated only received electricity access in 2008, the story of the hotel has been intertwined with the developments of the local area. From a derelict colonial bungalow, a luxurious but humble property has emerged with ten rooms and suites.
The development of the Rosyth Artisanal Tea Factory was the natural development following the destruction of the local tea factory in 2022. With a deep sense of engagement with the local community the Marikkar-Dobbs family has invested to create a social enterprise project, which aims to engage with and give back to the local community.
Today, the Rosyth Estate is being regenerated, with extensive replanting of rubber trees and tea plants and the introduction of new crops, including pepper, cinnamon, and other spices.
Rosyth is proud to be a member of the Ceylon Artisan Tea Association (CATA), whose members have a passion for tea, are committed to quality, sustainable growing practices & working in harmony with the tea artisans to improve employment practices & living standards
Rosyth Artisanal Tea
We are determined to move away from the traditional methods of producing tea that have remained the same since the colonial era.
At the Rosyth Estate House we have begun our journey to become an organic, artisanal producer of Sri Lankan tea. Removing mechanisation from our processes we have produce hand rolled and hand pounded teas which are carefully crafted on the estate by our local artisans.
We have constructed our own micro tea factory where our artisans are based.
This project is wholeheartedly community-focused as we look to improve the economic sustainability of our valley. Each and every person connected to production of our tea is a partner of ours with a stake in our future success. Our partners share 10% of the revenue generated from the tea sales.
We hope our initiative will vastly increase the prosperity of our local community with the skills and investment to help it flourish
Neil & Farzana with the team, January 2025
The small, growing team or artisans possess years of experience working in the old tea factory and plucking in the tea fields.
Today they are energised by working in all aspects of the production process from maintenance of the tea bushes, early morning plucking of the finest leaves, withering, hand rolling and drying of the leaf.
With a passion for excellence, Neil and Farzana lead the team, combining their experience in hospitality and their determination to improve the lives of those living in the local community.
