Lying along the banks of the Cornlands River at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains, Swellendam is one of the oldest and most gracious of South Africa’s historic towns. The site is perhaps the prettiest in the whole of the ‘Over- berg’ — the name given by the Dutch settlers at the Cape to the land lying to the east of the Hottentots Holland Mountains.

A dignitary of the Dutch East India Company, visiting the Cape in 1743, chose this tranquil site for the establishment of a new drostdy (magisterial district), and the new settlement was called Swellendam in honour of the Governor of the Cape, Hendrik Swellengrebel, and his wife, Helena ten Damme. Work on the Drostdy building began in 1746, and the town grew slowly around it.

By 1795 the burghers of Swellendam had become disenchanted with the Company, and they formed their own National Convention, electing one of their number, Hermanus Steyn, ‘president’ of the convention. (The burghers did not claim complete independence. They rejected the Company’s authority, but chose to remain under the Dutch flag. Just 91 days later, however, British forces occupied the Cape, and the days of independent government in Swellendam were over.)

Three years atter the burghers’ rebellion, in 1798, a congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church was established in the town, with services being held in the Drostdy until the first church was built in 1802. It was the church that was responsible for building the quaint Oefeningshuis in Voortrek Street.

Our walk through the old heart of the town starts here, at the Oefeningshuis I. Built in 1838 as a church for the education of freed slaves, its name was derived from the fact that religious instruction (godsdiensoefening) was practised there. The plaster clock-face in the west gable had a real clock set in the wall just below it.

It is believed that when the ‘real’ hands matched the plaster clock, it was time to assemble. Like many of Swellendam’s old buildings, the Oefeningshuis seems to lie well below the road. In fact the road has been raised to a height far above its original level by repeated reconstructions.

Diagonally across Voortrek Street from the Oefeningshuis is the quaint double-storeyed shop built by Buirski and Co. in about 1880 (2). The attractive little Church of St Luke(3), directly opposite Buirski’s shop, dates from 1865.

Cross the road and enter the grounds of the Dutch Reformed Church (4). The old gateway, on your right, formed part of the original church wall of 1840, while the present ornate building dates from 1910. A door on the right side is usually left open from 9 am to 5pm for visitors (except on Saturdays). The original pulpit is still in use, but has been considerably altered.

Turn left as you leave the church grounds. You reach the oak-shaded Church Square on your left at the next intersection, with its row of simple double-storeyed houses (5). This square was where farmers outspanned their wagons when they trekked into town for the periodic Nagmaal (Communion) services, and these ‘tuishuisies’ — little townhouses — were built for their use.

In front of the tuishuisies, facing onto Voortrek Street, is a thatched house now known as The Cottage (6), which was built in about 1832. Next to it, standing well back from the road, is a little house that appears on a map of Swellendam of 1808 as the ‘house of Constable Oomse’ (7).

to be continued (Note, plz find the map on the next post)