The original bastions were destroyed by the Dutch cannons during the siege of the fort. The Dutch subsequently rebuilt it in 1672 however not on the usual square pattern, but on a pentagonal one, though it had only four bulwarks, the fifth was never constructed (possibly due to the cost). The fort was located on a narrow strip of land between the Negombo Lagoon and an inlet of the sea. In February 1796 it was occupied by the British without opposition. Later the British authorities decided to demolish the fort and build a prison in its place, constructed from the stones of the fort. Nowadays all that remains is a section of the eastern rampart with mounds at its Northern and Southern ends, where the previous bastions existed, and an arched gateway. Above the gateway is a slab of granite, with the date 1678 inscribed, surmounted by a high decorative gable. It is still used as a prison