Lydenburg

Lydenburg is Dutch for Town of Suffering

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

Lydenburg (population about 85'000) is surrounded by the Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve and the Sterkfontein Nature Reserve, and lies at the foot of the northern Drakensberg mountain range. The Long Tom Pass is to the east of town on the R37 to Sabie. Dullstroom is on the R540 south of Lydenburg, and Ohrigstad to the north on the R36. Roossenekal is west on the R577. Lydenburg is about 230Km from Pretoria.

Lydenburg is on the banks of the Sterkspruit/Dorps River, which flows northward into the Olifants River, which in turn joins the Letaba River in the Kruger National Park east of Ba-Phalaborwa. In Mocambique it flows into the Barragen de Massingir lake at Massiningir, after which it is called the Rio dos Elephantes, which joins the Limpopo River and the Rio Changane and eventually flows into the Indian Ocean at Xai-Xai.

Photos courtesy: Marion Moir

Architecture

Voortrekker Church

There is a Voortrekker Church (built in 1852) in Lydenburg in the Cape Ducth style, but the original gables were removed in 1879, the windows were altered to Gothic windows and the thatched roof was replaced with corrugated iron. The church is a National Monument. It was restored based on a skecth dating from 1867 (by Richter) and an illustration published in the Graphic of 1876.

Dutch Reformed Church

The Dutch Reformed Church, built in 1890.

St Johns Church

St Johns Church was opened in 1874.

The church bell was imported from England in 1884, and transported from the Durban harbour by ox-wagon. The bell is still in use.

The first minister was Alfred Roberts, who took position in 1886. His son is Austin Roberts, known among birders for his reference book on birds.

Gunpowder magazine

There is a gunpowder magazine dating from 1889. Names of British soldiers who built the magazine with stone from Fort mary are engraved on some of the stones used in the building. The magazine is a National Monument.

Photos courtesy: Marion Moir

Lydenburg Waterfall

The Lydenburg Waterfall is about 15Km northeast of Lydenburg on the R36 to Ohrigstad. It consists of 3 waterfalls that form one high waterfall (244m high) in the Dorps River. A vehicle entrance fee is payable.

Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve

The Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve (2'200Ha) surrounds Lydenburg and was established to preserve the local habitat.

Steenkampsberg Pass

The Steenkampsberg Pass (2'250m) is on the R577 between Lydenburg and Roossenekal. It is the highest pass in Mpumalanga. The pass is named after the Steenkamp family who settled here between 1847 and 1851 on adjacent farms.

Mauchsberg and Long Tom Pass

Mauchsberg and the Long Tom Pass are on the R37 route to Sabie. Mauchsberg is named after the German teacher and geologist, Karl Mauch (1837-1878), who prospected in the area and mapped it in the 1870s. The highest peak on Mauchsberg is Mount Anderson (2'285m), named after the brothers Anderson (HM and WAB) who surveyed the area.

Photo courtesy: Marion Moir

Long Tom Pass is about 55Km long. Its elevation of 2'150m makes it one of the highest tarred roads in South Africa. The pass was named after cannons used by the Boers during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). A Boer commando of 2'000 under Commandant General Louis Botha retreated here away from the 12'000 strong British forces under General Sir Redvers Buller.

These cannons were manufactured in France by Creusot, and shot 43Kg shells a distance of more than 10Km. It was a heavy cannon, weighing 2'489Kg.

A replica of the cannon can be seen at Devil's Knuckles.

Photo courtesy: Marion Moir

Steenkamp Bridge

Steenkamp Bridge was built in 1897 and is on the R36 to Ohrigstad north of Lydenburg. During the Anglo-Boer War troups under Commandant General Ben Viljoen tried to blow up the bridge, but only damaged it. In 1903 it was fixed and named the Spekboom Bridge. In 1973 it was renamed Steenkamp Bridge when it was declared a national monument. The bridge was named after Helgard P Steenkamp, a member of parliament in the late 1800s.

Mapoch's Caves

Mapoch's Caves are off the R577 on Bothasberg. During the war with the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), in 1882, locals Njabel and Mampuru fled to these caves. Mampuru was captured and hanged for his part in the murder of Sekhukhune. The caves have been declared a National Monument.

Lydenburg Masks

Seven fired clay masks were found near Lydenburg in the Sterkspruit Valley. Radiocarbon dating of other obejcts on the site date to about 500CE.

The original masks can unfortunately not be viewed in Lydenburg, but at Iziko Museums in Cape Town. There are replicas hosted in the Lydenburg Museum.

Courtesy of Iziko Museum (Cape Town)

Jock of the Bushveld

Jock of the Bushveld is a book Percy Fitzpatrick, first published in 1907. The book is about the travel experiences of the adventurer and fortune seeker Fitzpatrick and his dog, Jock, in the 1880s in the greater area around Lydenburg and Sabie.

There is a memorial at Krugerspos, among many others in the area. A film was made in 1986 about these adventures.

Voortrekker Graves

This region is prone to malaria. During the time of the Voortrkekkers many died of malaria, hence the name Lydenburg (Town of Suffering). Graves dating from the 1840s can be seen on the R555 near Ohrigstad.

Photos courtesy: Marion Moir

Blockhouse

The remains of a blockhouse built by the British troups during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) can be seen on the R555 between Burgersfort and Ohrigstad.

Kwena Basin

The Kwena Basin lies southwest of Lydenburg, and is the spot to be for nature and for history lovers.

Photos courtesy: Fritz Louw
www.kwendaba.com

Archeological finds, such as terraces on the mountain slopes, indicate the area was farmed as long ago as 700 CE.

Several skirmishes happened here during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).

Fishing

The annual Kwena Basin Fly Fishing Challenge takes place in the Crocodile River. Angling can be done in the Kwena Dam: yellowfish, carp, bass, barbel and tellapia.

Bird watching

The following bird species can be seen: endangered bald-headed ibis, black eagle, fish eagle, osprey.

Photo courtesy: Fritz Louw

Wild life

The following game can be seen in the Kwena Basin: leopard, caracal, African wildcat, kudu, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, duiker, hippo, Cape Clawless Otter, vervet monkey, baboon.

Things to do

4 x 4 trails, paragliding, tandems, archery, horse riding, mountain climbing, abseiling, mountain bike

There is a vintage train from Waterval Boven to Waterval Onder that travels on the last Sunday of each month.

Info on Kwena basin, courtesy Fritz Louw

Things to do

Trout and fly-fishing.

History

More than 1300 years before the first Europeans entered the area, there were thriving communities of probably Nguni people, as demonstrated by the Lydenburg Masks found here. The first Europeans entered the area in the 1840s. The town itself was founded in 1849 by a group of Voortrekkers (pioneers) under the leadership of Andries Potgieter.

Different groups of Voortrekkers proclaimed their own republics. In 1856 'De Republiek Lydenburg in Zuid Afrika' was proclaimed, and in 1857 it joined the Republic of Utrecht. Three years later in 1860 they joined the Pretoria based Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR).

Sekhukhune (1814 - 1882), was king of the Marota (or baPedi) people who lived in this region. He defended his people against both the ZAR (1st Sekhukhune War or ZAR-Pedi War) and the British (2nd Sekhukhune War, or Anglo-Pedi War).

In 1871 a road was built between Pretoria and Delagoa Bay (today known as Maputo, and previously known as Lorenco Marques) in Mocambique, which was the closest harbour. Lydenburg was an important stop-over on this route.

In 1873 alluvial gold was discovered in Lydenburg and the town experienced a gold rush. The British wished to control the gold industry and eventually annexed the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR).

The First Anglo-Boer War (16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881) was fought mainly between the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) and Britain, hence also known as the Transvaal War. Skirmishes between the warring factions happened in the Lydenburg area.

The planned railway between Pretoria and Delagoa Bay only reached Lydenburg in 1910.

Lydenburg became a municipality in 1927.

In future Lydenburg might be renamed to Mashishing.

Climate

Today's Weather Report for Lydenburg

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