TRAVELBUCKET

TRAVELBUCKET

Tag Archive: Garden Route

ST MARKS CATHEDRAL, GEORGE

I took some time off from my day job and did a bit of exploring in my own town.    I must confess that I have been living in George for more than 15 years and have never visited the little stone cathedral in the middle of town. Arriving over the lunch hour on a sunny day I found the gardener attending to the lawn with love and care.  He only gave me a quick glance and carried on with his tasks at hand. Today the little stone church stood out against the blue sky with picture opportunities aplenty. This is another one of the legendary Sophy Gray churches. The design of the cathedral is based on the Littlemore Church near Oxford in England which was designed by Henry Jones Underwood.  Three stonemasons were used to build the cathedral and it was completed in only 13 months.  Without the modern technology… Read more >

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE WOODS, KNYSNA

San Ambrosio Church is tucked away in the green heart of the Knysna forest.   It is not glamorous or architecturally impressive, but rather tells the story of 32 pioneering Italian families that were brought to the forest to start up a silk farming industry, but then suffered unexpected hardships. In May 1881 the Italians were brought to Gouna with the intention and under the impression that there were an abundance of mulberry trees in the forest.  They were to start up a silk industry on the African continent.  It turned out that the mulberry trees that the woodcutters referred to were not related by any means to the real mulberry at all. After the project failed the families were abandoned by the government and had to make a living out of agriculture, cattle farming and some also became woodcutters.   Thus in 1891 the small San Ambrosio Church was built to… Read more >

DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, GEORGE

Situated in the main road of my home town a visit to the church is a relaxing and peaceful outing and is open to visitors, but take cognizance that it still is an active church so be respectful, please. Here you can witness the incredible history, architecture and craftsmanship that are present at this stately building which is also declared a National Heritage site. The church’s story starts a decade or so before it was inaugurated.  On 14 April 1832 Rev Ballot laid the first cornerstone of the building, but because of financial problems the building took twelve years to complete.  But then the church suffered the unwelcome event on 13 September 1905 when the steeple collapsed after 10 inches (+- 250 mm) of rain fell in three days.  The congregation bravely started with reconstruction work and the present bell was bought at the time. The London firm, Philipson and Stow, presented… Read more >

MILLWOOD GOLDFIELDS

Deep in the heart of the Knysna forest a story of hope to find that elusive gold nugget unfolds when one visits the forgotten town of Millwood    Every time I visit I just wonder what life must have been like in those years … So here is the story. Back in 1886 Millwood was a bustling gold mining town patched together by the dreams, greed and hope for riches that comes with gold digging.  The rumour of gold was enough to draw people from wide and afar.  Yet, after no substantial gold-bearing reefs were found Millwood was reduced to a ghost town amongst the ferns.  Today the only buildings that are left of this once booming time is Moterolli’s coffee shop and the Pitt Street Cottage with its yellowwood floors and ceiling next to it that offers accommodation. The gold rush started when Ruigtevlei farmer, James Hooper, found a small… Read more >

REVISITING BELVIDERE, KNYSNA

On an overcast morning, with all the holiday makers gone, and the schools starting today I took the drive to Belvidere near Knysna.  I had the streets almost to myself except for the garden services mowing the lawn and the odd resident walking their dog. As with so many places near your home you tend to seldom visit them, because they will always be there, but as I slowly drove into the village at nine o’clock a Knysna loerie was spreading its red wings as it crossed the road in the tree tops.  What a welcoming sight!  This alone was worth the visit. When I arrived at the Holy Trinity Church, designed by Sophy Gray, with its romantic setting and history there was a service.  So I strolled around the village to make up time, because I wanted to visit this historic church after reading its story.  Luckily the church… Read more >

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