Swellendam

Swellendam was declared in 1743 the third magisterial district of the Cape, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch, and its Drostdy - the magistrate's residence and court, built in 1747 - is now the centre of a museum complex that also takes in the old gaol, a water mill and craft workshops. In 1795 the burghers of the district expelled the Company official and declared a short-lived independent republic that lasted a matter of months before the British arrival ended it. The Dutch Reformed church of 1911 is the town's landmark, a white building combining Gothic, Baroque and Cape Dutch elements in a way that should not work and does. Behind the town the Langeberg rises steeply into Marloth Nature Reserve, and Bontebok National Park is on the other side of the N2, so the town works as a base for both.

History

Swellendam was declared a magisterial district in 1743, the third oldest in South Africa, and named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel and his wife Helena Ten Damme. Travellers such as François Le Vaillant (1781) and Lady Anne Barnard (1798) passed through, its burghers declared a short-lived republic on 17 June 1795, and in the 19th century the town was the heart of Joseph Barry's trading business (Wikipedia, Swellendam).

What to look for

• The 1747 Drostdy - the magistrate's residence at the centre of a museum complex.
• The 1795 republic - a few months of declared independence before British rule.
• The 1911 church - a white landmark mixing Gothic, Baroque and Cape Dutch.
• The mountain backdrop - the Langeberg rising directly behind the town.

When to go

September to April. A day, or use it as a base for the reserve and park.

What to expect

Museum hours are limited and parts close over lunch. The town is strung along the N2 with through traffic. Summer is hot. Many of the old buildings are private and seen only from outside.

Nearby

Marloth reserve is above the town; Bontebok National Park is south of the N2.

Key facts