British Residency (Lucknow)

The British Residency in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is a ruined complex on Residency Road in the Qaisar Bagh area, about 2 km from Hazratganj. It was built in the late eighteenth century for the British Resident at the court of the Nawabs of Awadh and became the centre of the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian uprising of 1857, when British residents and troops were defended there for several months before relief arrived. The buildings were left in their damaged state after the conflict and are now a protected monument set in lawns and gardens. Visitors walk among roofless buildings pitted with shell and shot damage, including the Banqueting Hall, the Treasury, the Begum Kothi, the doctor's house and a ruined church with an adjacent cemetery containing the grave of Sir Henry Lawrence, the commander who died during the siege. A small museum in the former Model Room displays models of the siege, maps, weapons and photographs, and gives context for the layout of the compound. A visit takes about one to one and a half hours. The compound is wide and open, so shade is limited in the hot months, and the late afternoon is the most pleasant time, with softer light on the brick ruins and cooler air. Photographers favour the broken arches, the cemetery and the tall trees against the brickwork. The site is quieter than Lucknow's Nawabi monuments, with families and students making up many of the visitors on weekends, and couples frequenting the lawns. A signboard system provides English labels for the main ruins, and guides can be hired at the entrance. The Residency is conveniently combined with the Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza on a Lucknow heritage day.