The Old Drostdy in Tulbagh, Cape Province

Tulbagh is the fourth oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam. The valley was ‘discovered’ by Pieter Potter, the surveyor to the Dutch East India Company, who found the way into the valley via today’s Nuwekloof Pass and the first fourteen farmers settled there in 1699.

The District of Tulbagh was established in 1804 by Commissioner de Mist and the Drostdy was built in the same year, designed by Louis Michel Thibault. This was the seat of the Magistrate who controlled the district.

The Old Drostdy in 1811 (image in the Tulbagh Museum)

Commissioner de Mist (image in the Tulbagh Museum)

Inside the house, which is now home to Drostdy-Hof Wines, there is an abundance of early Cape yellowwood and stinkwood furniture – beautiful.

The Old Drostdy is 4km outside Tulbagh, and after visiting we drove further into the head of the valley.