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Multi-faceted cast-stone paving integrates with Franschhoek estate
Multi-faceted cast-stone paving
INTEGRATES WITH FRANSCHHOEK ESTATE
Franschhoek’s prestigious wine and premium five-star hospitality retreat, Leeu Estates, has been beautifully enhanced with a comprehensive range of caststone paving blocks, manufactured by the Western Cape’s leading cast-stone manufacturer, Revelstone.
Situated in the Franschhoek Valley just a few minutes away from the picturesque village which bears the same name, Leeu Estates comprises a 23-roomed country house, a meticulously refurbished 19thcentury manor house, guest cottages, historic farm buildings and a boutique winery, set among 68ha of vineyards, landscaped gardens, oak trees and fynbos. Abutted by the Dassenberg Mountain to the south and the Franschhoek River to the north, this superb private hideaway offers top-drawer comfort, fine dining and platinum service.
Established by international entrepreneur Analjit (BAS) Singh, the estate forms part of the Leeu Collection, which includes
(Top): The Jura cobble in a herringbone pattern. (Right): The Devon double cobble combined with the Jura cobble and Jura straight edge pavers. other properties in Franschhoek and Linthwaite House, a 36-roomed country retreat overlooking Lake Windermere in England’s Lake District, as well as Villa Querce in Florence, Italy, a luxury hotel and pristine gardens due to open in 2022.
Long search
Singh began his quest for a property in the Franschhoek Valley in 2010, following a visit to see a match during the Fifa World Cup tournament. He knew he had found the right place the minute he set foot on Klein Dassenberg, a 40ha farm on the slopes of the Dassenberg Mountain and in September 2012, he bought the farm. The following year he bought two adjacent farms, Dieu Donné and Von Ortloff, and amalgamated them into Klein Dassenberg, now known as Leeu Estates. (The name was chosen because “singh” is the Sanskrit word for “lion”, which – of course – is “leeu” in Afrikaans.)
The Leeu Collection made a conscious decision to partner with the best in wine-
(Above): The Jura straight paver.
making, artistic endeavour and fine dining in order to create exceptional experiences for its guests. Thus Leeu Estates has partnered with SA’s leading contemporary art gallery, Everard Read, to create a contemporary gallery on the estate and a sculpture park among its extensive gardens. In addition, the owners of the world-renowned La Colombe restaurant in Constantia have opened La Petite Colombe on the estate.
Partially owned by Singh, the Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines (M&LFW) team has established a wine studio on the estate and its knowledgeable staff guide guests through the finer nuances of premium handcrafted wines. The award-winning wines are produced in Riebeek-Kasteel in the Swartland region, about 80km north of Franschhoek. Now that the vines have been established, wines will be produced on the estate, but as house wines, rather than premium products.
Beauty everywhere
Landscape designer Franchesca Watson says Leeu Estates has been established along the principles of Vastu Shastra, a traditional system of Indian architecture which seeks to place the various components of a property in harmonious relation to each other.
“For example, where possible, the vineyards run hard up against the buildings so that guests connect with the purpose of the historical farm, while the gardens themselves form lush green spaces between the vines. The gardens showcase a remarkable collection of art. This takes the form of monolithic sculptures, as well as smaller pieces that add detail or a special touch. Analjit started acquiring artworks very early on, sometimes with a particular position in mind and at other times buying the pieces and storing them until a perfect stage for them had been found in the gardens. He’s also commissioned artworks around which whole gardens were built as the perfect complementary environment,” says Watson.
“Bokkie Garden was entirely designed around a large central sculpture. Conversely, I commissioned some of the artworks for a specific space, working closely with the artist to achieve a particular vision. With care and over time, the gardens have become art in themselves, in which the fusion of landscape and works of art is complete.”
Paved areas
There are many paved spaces interspersed among the estate’s extensive grounds and Revelstone supplied 16 different types of cast-stone pavers. These were installed between October 2019 and December 2020 for the estate roads, parking areas, patios, pathways and staircases. They were carefully chosen to form a natural extension of the gardens, their colour tones forming the perfect foil for the plants, vines and sculpted art.
Paving contractor Derek Anderson of Highland Paving says this was his most prestigious and diverse paving project to date.
“Analjit Singh and his colleagues were very far-sighted in their choice of paving, paying particular attention to their installation, with the result that the estate is now an outstanding example of what can be achieved with cast-stone paving. Some of the roads, parking spaces and pathways are high-trafficked areas and the sub-base compositions were designed accordingly,” says Anderson.
(Above, from top): The ravine bullnose and ravine tiles; the Jura straight-edge paver and the Jura straight paver combined with the Jura splayed curve.
