[1] Sir Thomas Villiers was awarded 2.8 ha (7 acres) from the Tangamale Strict Nature Reserve by an act of the British parliament.

The house was built in 1931 by an English aristocrat and planter Sir Thomas Villiers, former chairman of George Steuart Co, a trading and estate agency based in Colombo.

Sir Thomas was a grandson of Lord John Russell and descendant of the Dukes of Bedford.

Upon purchasing the house and property the Italian monk removed silver cutlery and a few items of furniture in order to recover his investment and also make a profit.

After leaving it unoccupied for two years he subsequently donated the house and property to the Ampitiya Benedictine Monastery in 1963.