One of the oldest town in South Africa, Clanwilliam, was first populated ten years after the first settlers arrived in South Africa. People however only settled here permanently in 1725 and the town was named by Sir John Cradock. He named the town after his father in law, The Earl of Clanwilliam.

Old historical buildings line the streets of which a few have been declared National Monuments. One of the oldest being the Officers’ Residence originally built in 1808 and a Settlers house dating from 1820. The Anglican Church still sports its original bell which is still used today and originally imported from England. The Old Goal is now a museum and was used by the garrison during the Anglo Boer War and the old Salve Bell was used up until 1965. It rang every day at 12 pm to call all the prisoners working in the town to lunch and at 10 pm to signal curfew. You can go on a guided tour to admire all the beautiful old buildings.

The dam that bears the towns name is very popular with visitors and perfect for all sorts of recreational purposes. There are chalets as well as camping facilities available with the option of having electricity or not. Watersports enthusiasts come from all over to enjoy the dam’s facilities and the local angling club arranges regular competitions. It’s great for waterskiing and is known as the best dam in the Western Cape for this purpose. From the chalet there is The Ramskop nature Garden with a short walking trail that is easily reached from the chalets. In the months of August and September indigenous flowers abound and are beautiful to see.

To the south-east of the town you will find the greater Cederberg Wilderness area. This area offers the visitor a unique wilderness experience, with its stunning natural beauty. There are fascinating and dramatic rock formations to see as well as the famous Bushman-Elephant paintings in the Stadsaal Caves. There is a whole host of accommodation options with various recreational activities on offer. This area also forms part of the Cape Nature Conservation and is well known for its walking trails and hiking.

The area is also known for the world famous Rooibos tea which is endemic to the Cederberg area. You are able to visit the farm and tour the facilities along with spending some time on the farm and enjoying some Rooibos tea and shop for other Rooibos products.

Go for a walk in the beautiful Cederberg region and make a booking in one of the great Clanwilliam accommodation options on offer. Get to know the town a bit better and have fun with all the Clanwilliam activities on offer.. Also published at Getting to know Clanwilliam and the magic of the Cederberg.