Campbell

Name

Campbell is named after the Reverend John Campbell (1766-1840).

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

The village of Campbell is located on the edge of the Ghaap Plateau which stretches northward of the town, about 200m higher than the lower region around Douglas, which is about 30Km south of Campbell.

Campbell is in the middle of the country: 1000km to Cape Town, 1000km to Richards bay, 1000km to Kleinsee, 1000km to Musina.

Architecture

Bartlett’s Church

The church is one of the oldest churches north of the Gariep River. It was built in 1831 and proclaimed a national monument in 1960.

Photo: courtesy of Christo Becker

Mission Monument, and Slave Bell
Photos: courtesy of Christo Becker

Aloe Nature Reserve

The Aloe Nature Reserve conserves aloes. Early travellers such as Burchell and Andrew Smith described the kloof in the reserve, which is on the edge of the Ghaap Plateau.

Anglo-Boer War

Sites from the Anglo-Boer War that can be visited are: Fabersput Battlefield, grave of Oupa Swartbooi, who was a British spy, and the monument to Kasie Briedenham. Phone 053 298 2364.

Griqua Rebellion

In in 1878 a battle took place between the Settlers and the Griquas. The site can be visited.

Game farms

There are several Game farms in the area: Tula Tula, Moja, Wildspan, Tweefontein, Linksfontein, Kalkdam.

History

This location was settled by the Griqua in 1811, and called Grootfontein, or Knoffelvallei (meaning Garlic Valley).

Photo: courtesy of Christo Becker

There are seven natural fontains at Campbell, which is why this location was settled.

When the Reverend John Campbell (1766-1840) visited the stations of the London Missionary Society in the Cape Colony in 1813, the town was renamed after him.

A mission was built in 1831 by Rev. John Bartlett of the London Missionary Society. Robert Moffat and David Livingstone preached from the pulpit at this mission.

Thanks

Thanks to Christo Becker for additional information.

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