Barrydale

Barrydale sits where the Tradouw Pass comes up from the Overberg onto Route 62, a village of a few thousand people between the Langeberg and the Klein Karoo. Fruit and wine are the traditional economy - there is a small cooperative winery and dried fruit is a local product - and over the past two decades a creative population has settled: potters, painters, guesthouses and a well-known roadside bar. The most substantial of these is Net vir Pret, a community arts organisation that has worked with local children for years and produces an annual giant puppet parade through the village, a large-scale piece of community theatre involving hundreds of people. That combination - a working farm village, a craft-and-hospitality layer, and a serious community arts project - is what distinguishes Barrydale from other Route 62 stops. The pass down to Swellendam is twenty minutes and worth doing.

History

The land was part of the farm Tradouws Hoek, granted in 1832; the Van Coller brothers laid out the town in 1878, and it was recognised as a village in 1881. The name probably refers to John Joseph Barry of the Barry family, traders and landowners in the Overberg in the 19th century (Wikipedia, Barrydale).

What you'll find

• The pass junction - a village where the Tradouw Pass meets Route 62.
• The puppet parade - an annual community theatre event built with local children.
• The craft layer - potters, painters and guesthouses among the farm buildings.
• The fruit and wine - a cooperative winery and dried fruit as the older economy.

When to go

March to May and September to November; the parade is on an announced date. A day.

Before you go

It is small - half a day covers the village unless you are staying. Many businesses close Mondays and Tuesdays. Summer heat is severe. The Route 62 branding brings passing traffic rather than depth.

Nearby

Tradouw Pass drops south to Swellendam; Montagu is west on Route 62.

Key facts