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Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve and
Lydenburg Museum at the foot of Longtom Pass on the R37 The reserve
comprises an area of 2,200 hectare, with typical escarpment fauna and flora.
The reserve is named in honour of the late Gustav Klingbiel, a former
Lydenburg Town Council member, who campaigned to have the area declared as a
nature reserve. Long Tom Pass The spectacular Long Tom Pass is 55.6 km long and at 2150m a.s.l. is one of the highest tarred roads in South Africa.. Mount Anderson, named after the two landsurveying brothers, H.M. and W.A.B Anderson is 2285m a.s.l. and the highest peak on the Mauchsberg. The Pass was named after the Long Tom guns used by the Boers during the Anglo Boer War 1899-1902 against the British. From 8th to 10th September 1900 2,000 Boers, under the leadership of Commandant General Louis Botha successfully retreated from a strong British advance of 12,000 troops led by General Sir Redvers Buller. The 'Long Toms' manufactured in France by the Creusot factory were initially purchased by Paul Kruger for use at the Forts in Pretoria but were converted to field guns during the war 1899-1902. Each gun weighed 2489kg and a shell 43kg with a range of 10060m. A replica of the gun can be seen at Devil's Knuckles.
Mauchsberg The mountain range was named after a famous German teacher and geologist, Karl Mauch (1837-1878), who prospected and mapped the area in the 1870's. A fascinating account of Mauch's southern African travels has been edited and translated by F.O. Bernhard from letters and reports written by the explorer, who suffered many hardships and difficulties during his travels. Potato Seed Production Situated on the Drakensberg mountain slopes 17km from Lydenburg, on the Long Tom Pass the company, Potato Seed Production, produces its uniformly high quality potato seed. Located 2154 meters above sea level, in an outstanding micro-climate, the farm is situated ideally for the production of seed potatoes. The potato seed product range include tissue cultured plantlets, early generation greenhouse planting material (G0) (also referred to as greenhouse or minitubers) as well as G1 and G2 material. This historic farm was initially established and legislated by the Potato Board in 1971, as South Africa's first nucleus seed potato production unit. The unit was privatized in 1994 and continues to be managed by members of the Mellet family.
Apart from potatoes, farming with Merino sheep and Bonsmara cattle also exits, adding value and atmosphere to the farm. Potato seed production also produces grass bales that are used and sold as animal feed. Breathtaking views, populated by unique fauna and flora and wildlife that includes the rare blue crane makes the farm a unique experience. Game include zebra, red hartebeest, eland, blesbuck, oribi, springbuck and reedbuck. Hunting can be arranged but bow hunting is preferred. Visits to the farm are strictly by appointment and must be arranged well in advance. See: www.potatoseed.co.za for further information and photos. Lydenburg Waterfall The Lydenburg Waterfall, 16 km north-east of the town in the Dorps river, consists of 3 waterfalls in one. It is regarded as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Mpumalanga. Two of the falls lie next to each other and plunge into a deep pool which feeds the third fall. The hydro electric power station, belonging to the municipality, is situated at the foot of the two falls. The total height of the 3 falls together is 244 metres.
- gate is open from 9h00 to 16h00
Situated approximately 11 km north of the town on the road to Ohrigstad and slightly upstream of the present Schalk Burger Bridge across the Spekboom River. The bridge was opened on 21 June 1897 and was still in use in 1965. It originally had steel railings supported by 2 stone abutments. The bridge is named after Helgard P. Steenkamp, a member of the Executive Committee of the 2nd Parliament and Commandant of the Lydenburg Commando. During the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, the steel railings were partially destroyed by Commandant General Ben Viljoen when he attempted to blow up the bridge to prevent the British from being able to cross the Spekboom river. In 1903 the bridge was rebuilt with stone and renamed the Spekboom Bridge. In 1973 it was declared a national monument and given its historically correct name viz Steenkamp Bridge. Jock of the Bushveld Memorial
The door of Seedlings store was salvaged and taken to the Jock of the Bushveld private lodge in the Kruger National Park - it should be the door between the kitchen and dining room. Voortrekker Graves Between 1846 and 1849 the dreaded malaria fever accounted for numerous deaths in the Ohrigstad valley. A memorial was erected in 1938 when the remains of a number of the Voortrekkers were reinterred. Among the names on the memorial is that of J.J. Burger, first secretary of the Volksraad. On 10th October 1942 remains of a number of Voortrekkers who had been previously buried on farms in the area were reburied in the cemetery under a concrete replica of an oxwagon tent. Old Fort Remains of a blockhouse built during the Anglo-Boer war 1899-1902. Grave of Colour Sgt. John Pegg 29.10.1878
Geological Exposure : Dwars River Part of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. This occurrence consists of sharply defined layering of UG-1 chromite (dark) in anortosite (white to gray) at the Dwars River near Steelpoort. The layers, not simply superposed, merge and split, always opening toward the west. It is a spectacular sight for layman and geologists.
Viljoen had travelled from Pilgrims Rest to the Steenkampsberg area to encourage the itinerant Boer Government to join him at Pilgrims Rest. Fortunately, the Government decided against travelling back with Viljoen. From intelligence received the Royal Irish Regiment lay in ambush for Viljoen. Two of his adjutants were killed in the attack. Viljoen was sent to St. Helena never to return to this country. Fortunately, while imprisoned he wrote a very good account of his experiences during the Anglo-Boer war called My Reminiscences of the Anglo Boer War. Rock Engravings - Boomplaas (Trust
Property) Are they engravings of homesteads or is there a more mysterious answer to these drawings on rocks?
The most poignant graves are those of the men from Strathcona's Horse who were killed while setting up an outpost shortly after General Sir Redvers Buller entered the valley, September 1900. Strathcona's Horse, nicknamed the Queen's Cowboys, was a privately funded Canadian Regiment and one, Sgt. Brothers, an only child, had travelled 900km across the ice, from the Yukon to Skagway, to join up and fight against the Boers. Steenkampsberg The Steenkampsberg Pass, completed in 1988 links Lydenburg and Roossenekal and is the highest Pass in Mpumalanga at 2250m a.s.l. The Steenkampsberg was named after six Voortrekkers with the Steenkamp surname who settled there during 1847 and 1851 on adjacent farms. Mapoch's Caves Part of the Bothasberg, they are a mass of
rocks, caves, clefts, passages and ancient ruins. Njabel and Mampuru took
refuge in the caves and were difficult to dislodge during the 1882 war
against the Transvaal Republiek forces. But they were finally captured and
Mampuru was hung for his part in the murder of Sekhukhune, who had been
released from prison 1881. Njabel's death sentence was commuted to 15 years.
Elandspruit Battle Site 19.12.1901 18 December 1901, Colonel Park left Lydenburg for the fort at Witklip West where he overrnighted before continuing onto Dullstroom. Bivouacking the next night at Elandspruit, the camp was attacked by the Boers. The Boers had been given strict instructions to attack but not to rush the camp. Sadly one Boer commander was too eager and in rushing the British camp several Boers were killed. The British casualties from the Manchester Regiment are buried close to where the bivouac was and the memorial to the Boers is just across the road.
A botanist's dream after the first rains with the profusion of veld flowers and also home to the blue, wattled and crowned cranes. Grootsuikerboschkop Nature Reserve /
Military Cemetery 1899-1902 Contact Gerda at Dullstroom Accommodation for access to the Reserve. |
Steenkamp Bridge
Jock,
immortalised in the book, Jock of the Bushveld by Percy Fitzpatrick, is one
of the most delightful tales to come out of the Lowveld region. He was the
runt-of-the-litter, his mother was a bull-terrier but his father was of
unknown lineage. Constant companion to his young owner, adventure and
fortune seeker Percy Fitzpatrick, the memorial at Krugerspos is but one of
many along the route taken by Jock and his owner. It was at Krugerspos that
Jock had the famous encounter with a baboon at Seedlings store - Jock being
the ultimate victor!
In October, 1878, four Companies of the
1/13th. Regiment Prince Albert's Light Infantry under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel P.E.V. Gilbert, together with Colour-Sergeant Pegg and,
including elements of the Royal Artillery, Mounted Infantry and some native
formations, all under the overall command of Colonel H. Rowlands, VC. set
out to destroy Sekhukhune's Stronghold, in the Leoulu Mountains. Initial
attempts to reduce the Stronghold were not successful and the Force
withdrew. On 27 October, 1878, the Force gained
limited success at an Action fought at Shobiyane's Homestead, situated on
Magnet Heights, a southern spur of the Leoulu Mountains, overlooking the
west bank of the Steelpoort River and shielding the heartland of
Sekhukhune's Territory, but again failed to bring down the BaPedi Chief.
Colour-Sergeant Pegg was wounded by gunshot in the thigh. His leg was
amputated, but unfortunately, he died of his wounds the following day, 28
October, 1878 and was buried in a lone grave outside the Regimental bivouac
- he was the first British soldier to be killed in action on Transvaal soil.
Memorial to the Capture of Ben Viljoen
25.01.1902
Old Cemetery - Kwena Basin
Verloren Valei - World Wetland Site