Wellington

Wellington is named after the British Duke of Wellington

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

Wellington (population about 60'000) lies at the foot of the Groenberg (Green Mountain), which is a peak in Hawequa Mountains, and on the banks of the Kromme River. The Berg River flows just west of the town. Wellington is about 70Km from Cape Town.

Architecture

Twistniet is a home built in 1811 and now a museum. Victoria Park is home to lots of roses. Versailles (Main Street) is an example of the H-shape Cape-Dutch building style.

Wellington Museum

Wellington Museum exhibits Stone-Age artefacts, Egyptian antiquities and early European settlers.

Huguenot College

The Huguenot College is a religious college offering training to students in social, youth and missionary work.

The college was originally established by Rev Andrew Murray as an education centre for girls, and opened on 19 January 1874 with 54 borders.

In 1881 an observatory on the grounds received a telescope from the Williston Observatory at Mount Holyoke (USA).

Mountain passes

There are several mountain passes in the greater area around Wellington. Bain's Kloof Pass (historical monument), built by Andrew Geddes Bain, is after Sir Lowry's Pass the oldest mountain pass in South Africa. It is northeast of Wellington on the R303 to Wolseley. Michell's Pass is near Wolseley on the R303.

The Du Toitskloof Pass is on the N1 between Paarl and Worcester. Franschhoek Pass is on the R45 between Franschhoek and Villiersdorp. Nuwekloofs Pass is on the R64 between Gouda and Tulbagh. Boothmanskloof Pass is on the R46 between Riebeeck-Kasteel and Malmesbury.

Limietberg Nature Reserve

The Limietberg Nature Reserve, in the fynbos ecoregion, has nine different hiking trails.

Things to do

Hiking trails in fynbos country, horse riding, mountain biking, wine cellars.

The 3-day Wellington Wine Walk runs through vineyards, olive orchards, fields of buchu and vine cutting plantations at the foot of the Hawequa Mountains. Accommodation is available in local Wellington guest houses.

Events

The following events heppen during the course of every year:

Drakenstein Coon Carnival - the only organized Coon show outside Cape Town

Wellington Wine Harvest Festiva

Wilde Berg River 82km Cycle ride

Safari Half Marathon

The Bainskloof Ultra Marathon

Chrysanthemum Show

Berg River canoe marathon

Fireworks Display and Festival of Lights

History

The San and Khoi peoples were the first known humans to have inhabited the area.

The Limiet Valley ("Limit Valley"), later called Val Du Charron in French and in Dutch Wagenmakersvallei ("Wagon Manufacturers' Valley") was settled in 1699 by French Huguenots.

Wellington was founded in 1840 as a church centre for the farmers of this valley. It was renamed in honour of the Duke of Wellington, who beat the French under Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo (Belgium) on 18 June 1815.

Economy

Farming: wine, vines (about 90% of the country’s vines are grown in vine-cutting nurseries, in Afrikaans stokkieskwekerye), dried fruit, table grapes, citrus fruit, olives, brandy industry, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, youngberries, Cape gooseberries.

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