We look forward to welcoming guests to our refreshed and luxurious boutique lodge for sale

Heritage Guest House

We look forward to welcoming guests to our refreshed and luxurious boutique lodge

Greyton, Western Cape, South Africa

NEGOTIABLE

15 700 000 ZAR

Agent: Cliff Jacobs - Managing Principal Estate Agent & CEO (Nat.Dpl.Hotel Man (UJ). M.P.R.E.)
Agent Cellphone: +27 (0) 84 413 1071 / +27 (0) 61 716 6951
Agent Office Number: +27 (0) 21 554 0283
Agent Email Address: cliff@exquisitehotelconsultants.com
Type: Heritage Guest House
Bedrooms: 16
Bathrooms: 16
Showers: 16
Parking: 10
Yield: Not Disclosed
TGCSA Rating: 4 Star

Welcome to Greyton

Greyton is located in the breath-taking Overberg, just 1.5 hours from Cape Town. It is nestled in between the Sonderend Mountain Range and is a haven surrounded by nature reserves, farmlands, vineyards and orchards.

Visitors and guests at our Lodge, can laze aimlessly around our sparkling pool, have a game of croquet on the lawn or enjoy some bird watching.

The village offers great activities for the more energetic, like mountain biking, cycling in town, hiking and even take a swim in the Riviersonderend River. Mountain Bikes, as well as “Fixies”, can be hired in the village thus making your stay even more eventful. There are majestic waterfalls in the area, some of which has pools to cool down in on a hot summer's day. Another great activity is fishing, so feel free to wander down to the river with rod, reel and lures. Rumour has it Greyton has the largest eels in our rivers, and great bass fishing is also on offer.

Horse riding is also on offer and can be arranged. Please contact us prior to arrival to ensure that a booking can be made for you. There is also a Horse Drawn Carriage for fun-rides through the streets of Greyton.

For those guests who are perhaps more inclined to drive around, an unforgettable drive will be down the road to Genadendal where you will find the oldest mission station in South Africa. A stimulating experience, where places of interest include the printing works, a Moravian restaurant serving traditional food and an arts and craft centre, definitely worth a visit.

Greyton village boasts many fine restaurants and cafés in, offering a great assortment of cuisines to dine out at or stop at for a quick snack. The village is a wonderful place to walk around in for the day, browsing through art galleries, curio shops, antique shops and craft shops. The Saturday morning market is a must, a great place to meet local farmers and crafters, sample homemade food products and find unique gifts to take home.

At the Lodge there is always music in the air, and live music at that. Jazz, light classical and swing. On certain Friday afternoons we have concerts; in the garden in summer, and in front of the fire in the Wine Lounge during winter.

Greyton Lodge is a birdwatcher's paradise. The following birds have been spotted in the Lodge's gardens:

Black Cockoushrike, Malachite Sunbird, Double Collared Sunbird, Black African Sunbird, Red-Eyed Dove, Cape White Eye, Cape Robin, Red-Winged Starling, Starlings, African Starling, Cape Wagtail, Cape Sparrow, Wagtail, Yellow Canary, Bull Bull, Cardinal Woodpecker, Ducks, Pintailed Whydah, Hadida, Quail Finch, Blue Crane, Swallows, Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing dove, Spotted Eagle Owl, Fork-tailed Drongo, Greytit, Waxbill, Olive Thrush, Southern BouBou, Weaver, Cameron Pigeons, Rock Pigeons and the Yellow Bishop.

Early history

Before Greyton was established in 1854, the verdant plains and forested ravines of the area were home to the Hassequas khoikhoi tribe who had their kraals near the Gobos river, which they named after their ancestral chief. Their many thousand heads of cattle and sheep were the reason why Ensign Schriver of the Castle of Good Hope was sent here in the late 1600s to barter with their head man, Captain Stoffel Koekson. So rich did Koekson become from this bartering that he eventually took his people to live in the Boschmanskloof, where he built them proper mud-brick houses, the foundations of which still lie under the old houses of Boschmanskloof today.

Weltevreden farm

In 1793, Koekson's tribal lands were given to the young Dutchman Marthinus Theunissen, who built a homestead (no longer standing) on his farm Weltevreden. He did not stay long because he could not resolve the constant disputes with his neighbours at Boschmanskloof and Genadendal over boundaries and straying cattle.

Subsequent owners of Weltevreden included two wealthy brothers of the famous Cloete family from Constantia who bred horses. Marthinus Theunissen himself became a very wealthy man in Stellenbosch, owning Vergelegen at one time.

Agricultural village

In 1846 a wealthy Englishman, Herbert Vigne, bought Weltevreden. He established a freehold agricultural village on Weltevreden in 1854, keeping two small portions for himself and bequeathing the remainder of the farm as commonage. He named the village "Greyton", after Sir George Grey, the then Governor of the Cape.

Village layout

The layout of the village was designed and set out by J G Rietz, a senior surveyor at the time, and remains essentially the same with only a few changes and additions through the years. The various sized properties were made available to buyers of any race, nationality or religion at affordable prices. This was the only town in the Cape in which such land with full title deeds, water rights and grazing rights was for sale to anyone.

In the 1860s Herbert married a young girl of British stock named Elizabeth Belshaw – 27 years his junior. They settled on their farm, De Bos, in the village (subsequently subdivided by his heirs after his death in 1895). Within fifty years, a dedicated community of people had built houses, established businesses and smallholdings, opened a school and built two churches in the town. Here they lived together in peace, harmony and religious tolerance.

Surviving features

Many of the town’s original buildings and features have survived, including the original lei water (irrigation) system of street furrows, the town kraal and dipping tank, a blacksmith's house and forge, the school's boarding house and the extensive public commonage crisscrossed by walking, hiking and cycling paths that surround the town. There are also two old churches, some of the earliest cottages built between 1854 and 1860 in Vigne Lane and at the end of Vlei Street, as well as an old shepherd's cottage built prior to 1840, which is now incorporated into "The Old Potter's Inn" building on Greyton’s Main Road.

Village changes

The entrance to the town was not originally where it is today for the road came directly from Genadendal over the hill, and past Boschmanskloof, entering the town at the intersection of Main Road and Ds Botha Street. There the De Villiers family built a trading store in 1860, as well as several communion rooms used by Dutch Reformed Church members who came to town for communion once a month. The town's first post office was opened in the building where today, The Post House pub trades from.

Economy

Following Herbert Vigne’s death in 1895, Greyton, like many other Overberg towns, lived through harsh economic times that characterized the turn of the century. Many people left to make their fortunes elsewhere. Sending crops to Cape Town for sale was no longer viable. There were few jobs, families were large and people became impoverished. But the long narrow plots that characterized the layout of the town continued to provide a food source for families, as well as a place to keep livestock for domestic use.

The Vigne descendants subdivided more land at the present entrance to the town, on which several large Victorian houses were built and still stand today. Opposite them, a very old flat-roofed building that was used for the first Anglican church services was made into a Moravian school. It is now the town library.

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Key features

Manor House

Set in a magnificent Cape Dutch Manor dating back to the early 1900s, each room in the Manor House has a unique design and features vintage furniture and architectural details combined with modern elements. Individual style, original hardwood flooring and classic fittings give each of the 7 en suite rooms a nostalgic yet fresh atmosphere to unwind and relax in.

Garden Rooms

Set in the lush gardens of the Lodge, the Garden Rooms have a modern and minimalist design aesthetic. Each of the 9 en suite rooms features luxurious fixtures and iconic South African furniture used in an open plan design style to give a sense of airiness, flowing seamlessly from the gardens into each room.

Our Restaurant and Bar

To contribute to one’s stay at our Lodge, guests have the enjoyment of our breakfast restaurant that serves classic dishes from the freshest, local produce. Relax in one of the stylish lounges while having a drink from the Lodge Bar or spend the afternoon lazing by the historic pool.

Breakfast Restaurant

Set in two sun-filled spaces with incredible views over the Sonderend Mountains, our Lodge serves breakfast daily with all bookings by appointment. Guests staying at our Lodge need not book for breakfast. Enjoy a wide selection of local, fresh and organic options next to one of the historic fireplaces or on the veranda in the garden.

Lounges and Bar

The Lounge Areas, for the exclusive use of the Lodge's guests, features comfortable and uber stylish pause areas with views over the garden, exquisite artwork displays and designer elements.

The Lodge Bar offers more than 15 types of wines all carefully selected from award-winning wine farms from around South Africa. Enjoy a glass of red wine while sitting next to a wood-burning fire as the snow falls on the mountains outside or in summer while lounging next to the historic pool. Local craft beers and a wide selection of spirits, brandies and whiskeys are also available to guests.

A private library and TV room offer guests the exclusive use to relax in or catch the game on our large plasma screen.

Conferences

The Lodge features a private 80 square metre conference venue that can be used for conferences, meetings and lectures. The space can be set up in various configurations to suit your needs and fulfill your requirements, making our Lodge the perfect business destination.

As well as being able to conduct business in a well-resourced facility, the delegates who attend conferences at our Lodge Conference Venue often leave feeling that they have had a true break from the stress and rush of city life.

When business is concluded for the day they can put on their riding boots or walking shoes and head for the hills, or wander down to the river with rod, reel and lures. Wander the quiet gravel streets, admiring old oak trees and roses for which Greyton is renowned.

Leadership development programs, human resource seminars, strategic planning sessions – the captains of South African commerce and industry have chosen Greyton Lodge as a conference venue for all manner of business-related meetings.

With its well-equipped, air-conditioned conference room, our Lodge has become a popular venue for such well-known companies as Appletiser, Foschini, Alan Gray, Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Clicks, BP, Home Choice, Masholdings, Old Mutual, Metropolitan, Capitec Bank, Overberg Tourism, Sanlam, Boland PKS and numerous others.

We also offer superb catering for business events that includes all meals, snacks, tea, coffee and drinks.