Greyton
On the old road in from Genadendal
Greyton is at the foot of the Riviersonderend mountains. It has oak trees, white cottages and open water furrows along the streets. The first road into the village came over the hill from the mission at Genadendal and entered where DS Botha Street meets Main Road.
01The road
Over the hill
Genadendal is five kilometres away by road today, or about two hours on foot over the mountain path. Before Greyton existed, people used this route on foot, on horseback and by ox wagon to reach the valley of the Sonderend River.
Our shop is on DS Botha Street, the street where this road entered the village.
Hand-drawn and not to scale.
02A bell heard in Stellenbosch
The bell at Genadendal
In the 1790s the mission at Genadendal bought an old ship's bell. The story goes that it rang so loudly it could be heard in Stellenbosch, and the clergy there had it silenced. In 1798 the congregation carried shells, lime and sand to build the pillars for a bell cage, and the bell rang again, up to nine times a day.
03A short history
From mission to village
1738
A mission in the valley
Georg Schmidt settles at Baviaanskloof, over the hill from where Greyton now stands. It becomes Genadendal, the oldest mission station in South Africa.
1790s
A bell heard in Stellenbosch
The mission buys an old ship’s bell. The story goes that its ringing could be heard in Stellenbosch, and it was silenced until 1798, when the congregation built the bell pillars that still stand.
1846
Weltevreden is sold
Herbert Vigne, an Englishman, buys the farm Weltevreden at the foot of the Riviersonderend mountains.
1854
A village of long plots
Vigne lays out a village of long, narrow plots with water rights, open to buyers of any background, and names it after Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape.
1860
Where the old road came in
The first road into Greyton comes over the hill from Genadendal and enters the village at Main Road and DS Botha Street. A trading store opens at the junction.
Today
Oaks, furrows and a brass workshop
The leiwater furrows still run along the streets under the oaks. On DS Botha Street, where the old road came in, we cut and hammer brass.
04The village today
Oaks, furrows and a Saturday market
Leiwater
Open water furrows have run along Greyton’s streets since the village was laid out, feeding long gardens behind the cottages.
The Saturday market
On Saturday mornings the village gathers for bread, pies, produce and crafts. We are a short walk away.
The mountains
The Riviersonderend mountains rise behind the village. The Boesmanskloof trail crosses them to McGregor, past Oak Falls.
Sources: Greyton and Genadendal histories (SA History Online, Wikipedia), "Historic bells in Moravian missions" (Historia), CapeNature.