Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western Cape
Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western Cape
Bainskloof Pass is a 30km pass between Ceres and Wellington, which was completed in 1853 by the famous road engineer, Andrew Geddes Bain, and is one of the most picturesque passes in the Cape. Like most of the passes built arround that time, like Michels Pass and Tradouw Pass, Bainskloof was built using convict labour. Often there were up to 350 convicts working on the pass and the number sometimes grew to 450 at any one time, over 1000 different convicts could claim there place in history after building this pass.
Bain started the project from Wellington where he set up a constuction village named Eerste Tol in 1848 which included the usual storerooms and workshops, as well as a hospital, a church or school building, recreation area and stables. Work on the project comenced in 1849. The first section of the pass was the easier section which required a minimal amount of blasting and bridge building, it was on this section, the western approach, that bain planted over 300 oak trees to provide shade on the pass. In 1951 he moved the camp to Tweede Tol, the more trechorous part of the project. This part required blasting through solid rock and reinforing the banks with 20 metre high retaining walls in places. We need to remember that in the 1850s there were no big earthmoving machines and most of the work was done using little more than hand drills, sledge hammers, steel bars, picks and shovels.
The pass was opened in September 1853, was tarred nearly 81 years later in 1934 and declared a National Monument in 1980, 127 years after its opening. Originally built for the horse drawn traffic of the 1950s, Bainskloof Pass is still open today as part of the regional road, the R303.
At the top of the pass, 595 metres above sea level you will find a plantation and a picnic spot, where the road meets the Witte River. The river cascades down the rock faces, through a cleft in the mountainside, down a stretch of rapids, over waterfalls and into natural pools on the northern side of the mountains. Surrounded by interesting rock formations and wild flowers, this is one of the most beatiful stretches of road in the western province. Halfway down the pass there is a beautiful campsite, with an awe inspiring river pool set amid smooth boulders (The Tweede Tol campsite will be receiving new developments and will be closed for bookings until 22 September 2010.) So the 30km stretch of road needn't be just a view through your car window, it can be a destination, to picnic, to hike though what is know as Wolvenkloof, or even spend some time camping.
Could Andrew Geddes Bain and those 1000 convicts ever have imagined that they were making one of the most beautiful parts of the Cape accessible to so many people for over 157 years and for many more to come.
Verblyf Naby Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western Cape
Mooi Bly
Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Paarl
10.7km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeMooi Bly word deur 'n klein gesit besit en bestuur. Dit is 'n wynlandgoed wat toegewikkel is in die natuurskoon van die Du Toit-berghange. Dit kyk uit oor die Paarlvallei en bied 5 unieke selfsorg-grasdakkothuise. …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Middelplaas Paarl Guesthouse
Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Paarl
15.4km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeMiddelplaas Paarl Guesthouse is geleë 3km buite Paarl. Die ideale eind bestemming vir korporatiewe gaste, vakansie gangers, toergroepe, trougaste, skool- en sportgroepe en lang termyn verblyf. Gaste het ‘n keuse uit 24 kamers elke met ‘n eiesoortige …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
5 Konings Guesthouse
Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Paarl
17km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western Cape5 Konings Guesthouse bied B&B-verblyf in die Paarl, in die hartjie van die Kaapse Wynlande. Bly in een van ons 8 stylvol versierde en suite-kamers wat voorsiening maak vir jou gerief en plesier. Al die kamers is toegerus met lugversorging... …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Zonnevanger Guest House
Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Paarl
18.1km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeBederf jouself met 'n aand in 'n luuks versierde kamer in 'n pragtige idilliese tuinomgewing in die Kaapse Wynlande. Die gastehuis word omring deur romantiese Lavender Fields en berge-ontmoet-wingerd-tema buitelug-natuurskoon. …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Big Sky Cottages
Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Ceres
23.4km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeBig Sky Cottages is net 'n uur se ry vanaf Kaapstad en bied 10 moderne selfsorg-losstaande kothuise aan die voorheuwels van die Mostertshoekberg tussen Wolseley en Ceres, wat uitkyk oor die pragtige Buchu-lande met asemrowende uitsigte... …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
White Bridge Farm
Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Wolseley
24.8km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeOf u op soek is na avontuur, of eenvoudig slegs 'n naweek wil wegkom uit die stad, maak White Bridge Farm u bestemming. Geleë tussen die R46 en die R43, is ons goed geleë om Tulbagh, Wolseley of Ceres te besoek. Ons waarborg dat u... …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Tulbagh Mountain Cabin & Bungalow
Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Tulbagh
25.7km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeGeleë in die Tulbagh Wynvallei tussen Tulbagh en Wolseley en aan die voet van die Winterhoekberge, bied die Mountain Cabin en Mountain Bungalow 'n rustige wegkruipplek van die stadslewe. …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Val d Or Estate
Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Franschhoek
26.2km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeVal d'Or Estate bied B&B en selfsorgverblyf in Franschhoek in die Kaapse Wynlande en Breederiviervallei-streek in die Wes-Kaap. Geleë teen die voorheuwels van die manjifieke Franschhoekberge, 'n paar minute se ry... …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
Heuwelsig Cottages & Franschhoek Camping
Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Franschhoek
26.6km from Bain's Kloof Pass - Wellington, Western CapeHeuwelsig Cottages & Franschhoek Camping bied beide selfsorgverblyf en spesiale staanplekke spesifiek vir motorhuise in Franschhoek. Heuwelsig Cottages is op 'n werkende wynplaas geleë, omring deur welige wingerd, boorde en skilderagtige... …sien meer vir besprekings / navrae en inligting.
- Bain`s Kloof (0.25km)
- Wellington (10.07km)
- Slanghoek (11.51km)
- Breede River (13.69km)
- Romansrivier (17.61km)
- Lemoenkloof (17.78km)
- Paarl (18.35km)
- Boschenmeer Golf Estate (19.61km)
- Windmeul (19.61km)
- Rawsonville (22.21km)
- Wolseley (22.23km)
- Hermon (22.39km)
- Voor-Paardeberg (22.49km)
- Wemmershoek (26.60km)
- Simondium (26.64km)
- Tweede Tol Picnic & Camping Site - Bain's Kloof Pass, Western cape (5.70km)
- Wellington Museum (9.48km)
- Breytenbach Centre - Wellington (10.18km)
- Limietberg Nature Reserve - nr Paarl, Cape Winelands (10.51km)
- Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate - Wellington, Cape Winelands (10.62km)
- Wellington Wine Harvest Festival (10.94km)
- Pinotage On Tap - Wellington, Cape Winelands (10.98km)
- Huguenot Tunnel - nr Paarl, Cape Winelands (11.78km)
- Elandsberg Nature Reserve - Hermon, Cape West Coast (14.22km)
- Klein Drakenstein Mountain Range - nr Paarl, Cape Winelands (16.04km)
- Waterval Nature Reserve (17.80km)
- Afrikaanse Taalmuseum - Paarl, Cape Town (18.36km)
- Hout Street Gallery - Paarl, Cape Winelands (18.56km)
- Paarl Golf Club - Paarl, Cape Winelands (18.92km)
- Strooidak Kerk (Church) - Paarl, Cape Winelands (19.20km)
- Women's Day at the Grande Roche Hotel (19.83km)
