Boschendal

I remembered Boschendal as an elegant and beautiful home and I was keen to visit again.

This information board at the Manor House is curious because it doesn’t mention the De Villiers family who owned and developed the farm from 1715 until 1879. In 1902 Boschendal was bought by Cecil Rhodes.

Inside Boschendal in the few open rooms there were some elegant pieces of yellowwood and stinkwood furniture, but the building is used as offices and it did not feel like the ‘home’ I remembered. I feel it is no longer ‘loved’ – what a pity. The farm, however, has been restored and developed and would be a wonderfully luxurious stopover. (Fullsome article with beautiful photographs here.)

Yellowwood & stinkwood furniture at Boschendal

Chandelier in the dining room at Boschendal

The setting is magnificent – overlooked by the Groot Drakenstein Mountains and Simonsberg Mountains – and surrounded by gardens, trees, flowers…

The Jonkershuis is now a restaurant.

All the exploring justified a little refreshment and we retreated to The Deli, the former coachhouse and stables on the farm, for very good carrot cake, and scones and cream!