VERGEET MY NIET TOWN FARM
PRINCE ALBERT, KAROO, WESTERN CAPE
A mindful oasis...
Invest in a heritage manor house on a verdant farm in the epicentre of Prince Albert in the Karoo – talk about all things to all people!
Prince Albert is a very special little Karoo village! Once you’ve tackled the rugged and spectacular Swartberg Pass (itself a national monument completed by Sir Thomas Bain in 1888 and still unpaved), you are rewarded with the delight of one of the most beautifully situated villages in the Karoo. Olive groves and vineyards, fruit orchards and rolling farmlands settle at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, all sustained by spring-fed streams that flow down into this fertile valley. The village is an architectural gem dotted with beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco buildings – no wonder this quirky oasis attracts artists, foodies and creative souls.
VERGEET MY NIET TOWN FARM
Prince Albert, Karoo, Western Cape
Prince Albert’s “town farms” are a fascinating original feature of the village! Yes, you read right: farms right in the centre of the village, stretching along the leiwater canal! Established in 1860, Vergeet-My-Niet Town Farm is one of the last unspoilt survivors. It more than lives up to the name of the original farm, Kweekvallei, meaning “valley of plenty”.
The owners discovered their rural smallholding on a charmed road trip from one end of South Africa to the other. “We’d lived in Malaysia and China for seven years and knew we wanted fresh air, clean water and security. We’d missed the earth of Africa and just wanted to dig in the soil and smell it. We wanted to plant and garden and grow things.”
The result is organic abundance on this lifestyle farm in the Great Karoo. The gorgeous 1860 manor house with its Carel Lotz Prince Albert gable is surrounded by lush gardens, shaded by a veritable forest of trees. Think white stinkwood trees, a coral tree, bushwillow, fever trees, white acacias and karees –culminating in a hammock swinging below the massive pecan trees in the picnic area beyond the vineyards and olive grove.
In 2014 the owners renovated the original into two charming self-catering guest cottages, each ideal for a romantic escape. “We’re smack-bang in the centre of town, one street down from the historic properties on the main road,” say the owners. “Walk out of the gate and turn right, you’re at the Swartberg Hotel; turn left, you’re at the church.” So if you’re in the mood for an early-morning coffee or want to pick up some local produce from The Lazy Lizard, just hang a left out the gate and amble up a block. No wonder Vergeet-My-Niet is so popular that the current owners haven’t ever got around to advertising the second guest cottage – word-of-mouth has kept it booked back-to-back since the day it opened.
• Erf size: 15 763 m²
• Manor house: 380 m²
• 2 bedrooms (en-suite)
• 2 bathrooms
• 2 lounges
• Dining room
• Kitchen
• 2 wood-combustion fireplaces
• Air conditioning
• Thatch gazebo with open fireplace
• 1 bathroom Specs
• 2 self-catering guest cottages: each 150 m²
• 1 bedroom (en-suite)
• Kitchen
• Dining area
• Terrace
• Air conditioning
• Produce (organically farmed):
• 300 olive trees (200 Frantoio / 100 Mission)
• 40 almond trees
• Avocado, lemon, grapefruit, pomegranate, apricot, plum, peach
• Gym
• Swimming pool
• 2 garages
• Workshop
• Produce room
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david@perfecthideaways.co.za
Call David +27 82 888 1734