The 94-yr-old Kellie's Castle shares a common link with the Sri Maha Mariamam Temple in Batu Gajah, both having being built by William Kellie Smith

The property of English rubber tycoon William Kellie Smith, the incomplete 19th-century building remains dark and mysterious with much speculation among locals and visitors about hidden rooms and secret tunnels.

Its allure and romance led these ruins to be chosen as one of the set locations for the filming of "Anna and the King" in the mid 1990's.

Majestic landscape

The Full Story - The History

Screams from a newborn baby echoed through the corridors of a small farmhouse, one spring day in the year 1870. A healthy baby boy was born into the Easter Kellas estate to the Smith family and was christened William Smith. The golden years of the Victorian Era was at its peak. The British empire was secured spanning from the New World to India and into South East Asia.

William Smith grew up in a little farm close to Dallas on the Moray Firth in Scotland. As the Victoria era blossomed for a new class of elite, spearheaded by innovative technology and inventions - the working class were pushed harder into poverty and frustrations. Perhaps it was the drive to escape from the droll of intense poverty that sent William Smith to far off lands looking for opportunities.

Young William Smith who later called himself William Kellie Smith, (Kellie being his mother's maiden name) left his homefarm in Dallas in search of the rich life he dreamt. It is not known when Smith arrived in Malaya nor do we know why he chose to explore opportunites in Malaya. However, the young, amicable man of 6ft 3ins in height was accepted into the community with ease.

An old bridge suspended over the Kinta River where William Kellie Smith would have driven his many imported automobiles through into the driveway, and up to the house

In a small working communty of planters, miners and entrepreuners, Smith found business opportunities readily available. Having bounced around on a few successful and unsuccessful ventures, he finally had a great windfall working with a rubber planter named Alma Baker. Alma Baker had obtained a few government contracts to make roads in South Perak. William Smith snapped up his invitation to work together and made a huge profit from these projects. With the money, he purchased 900acres of land just south of Ipoh and cleared the jungle for his rubber plantation and homely estate. He named this estate, Kinta Kellas - Kellas in memory of his family farm back in Scotland and Kinta being the area of the large basin in where the estate is situated

With his empire falling into place as planned, William Kellie Smith formed a London-based company. He was then appointed manager of the estate and was paid a handsome salary by the London Board. Rubber being in demand in the early years , he made a fortune. Running in parallel with the demands of raw materials to fuel the new industrial boom, he further amassed more wealth as larger dividends were paid out to him by his London based company.

The moorish styled building still stands not a bit scratched from the day it was left abandoned in 1926

In 1909/1910 he built a Moorish styled manor for himself, his wife Agnes Smith and their first child, Helen Agnes. The manor sat on a little knoll just by the bend of Sungai Kinta or the Kinta River, commanding a clear, unobstructed view of the Kinta Valley. Its grounds were groomed into pockets of lush gardens, open spaces, lawns and a lake - added to complete the estate ambience. In Britain during the Victorian era, many young, rich, enterprising men took to buying old manor houses, castles and estates to accentuate their stature in the social circles and for a long period, such activities were well accepted.

Perhaps it was this influence, perhaps it was the birth of his son that niggled him into building a larger more stately home. Construction of the new manor began somewhere after the birth of his son Anthony in 1915. Not much of the first home is left today, apart from the covered walkway, an open courtyard and part of a crumbling wall. The 'new' section of the stately home was to be an extension to the existing home, hence there isn't a kitchen nor a servants' quarters to be found. Many estate homes in the early years were designed so that the servants' quarters, utility rooms and kitchens were housed in an annexe and connected only by a covered walkpath to ensure no disturbances.

This new wing was to take 10years to build. Smith had employed an Indian taskforce to work on the construction. However, in the early 1920's, an epidemic of 'Spanish Flu' broke out and many of his estate workers including those working on the construction died after a short period of illness. The heads of his workforce requested that they build a temple for the deity Mariamman to ask forgiveness and protection for the people living on the estate. Smith agreed and had all his people feverishly working on the temple which was completed in a short time. The temple was built some 1500m from Smith's home. Today, the local community still pays homage to their gods at the temple. A little statuette of Kellie Smith stands alongside the deities on the roof of the temple probably watching over his little estate and the descendants of those that have worked and looked after him in the years when he was Sahib of the Kinta Estate.

The open courtyard and the remains of the pasageways indicates the foundations of the old wing. The Museum of Antiquities took on the project to refurbish parts of the Castle especially the old wing by replastering the walls and laying floor tiles.

After the completion of the temple, everything returned to its normal state of affairs and work was diverted back to the construction of the manor house. In 1926, together with his daughter, William Kellie Smith made a trip home to Britain.The reasons for his trip is unclear but it is believed that they were to return to England for a short reunion with his wife and son. It is believed that Anthony was sent home to continue his education and Agnes had accompanied him. Back in Europe,William Kellie Smith was believed to have made a detour trip to Lisbon, Portugal to collect a lift (elevator) which he had ordered for the manor. Unfortunately, Smith never made it back to Malaya. In December 1926, Smith succumbed to a bout of pneumonia and passed away in Lisbon. He was buried at the British Cemetery.Agnes sold her interest in the Kellas Estate and Smith's distrought family never returned to Malaya.

Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in World War II and Helen never returned.

Inside Kellies Castle

Kellie's Castle - Getting There

By Car

Take the Gopeng exit off the North-South Highway. At the Gopeng tol, take a right heading towards Gopeng town. Pass Gopeng, there will be signs directing you to Kellie's Castle. Down the trunk road, turn right into the Gopeng-Batu Gajah road. Along the way you will be able to see Kellie's Castle on your left.

By Rail

The closest station will be Batu Gajah. From here either grab a taxi or wait for an Omnibus leaving for Gopeng from the bus station. Tell the driver that you want to be dropped off at Kellie's Castle.

By Bus

There are a number of local buses that leave for Batu Gajah from the intrastate Bus Station. Tell the driver you want to be dropped off at Kellie's Castle.

The Restoration of Kellie's Castle

At arrival at Kellie's Castle you can "meet" William Kellie Smith and his two children. Their sculptures are standing on the exterior wall. The one of his beloved wife fell off some years back.

The tunnels have been sealed off for safety reasons. The rumour is that Smith's car is parked in one of the tunnels. True or not, I can't tell.

More images of the majestic Kellie's Castle here: http://www.pbase.com/mikench/kelliescastle