Church Street in Historic Tulbagh

(20 reviews)

Cape Winelands audio tour: Church Street in Historic Tulbagh

This is a 0.9mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Cape Winelands

South Africa

$4.99

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About the Tour

Join Jayson for an insider's tour of the history and architecture of Tulbagh's famously reconstructed Church Street.

The tour takes you on a loop to the end of Church Street and back along the main road, stopping in at all four museums along the way. Jayson will catch you up on Tulbagh's Dutch and British periods of occupation, and go into the development and significance of Cape Dutch architecture with its iconic gable. The South African Unionists are covered too, along with the Afrikaner Nationalists.

There will be opportunities to pause the tour so that you can take refreshments at one of the local restaurants or spend more time at one of the other sites.

Please note, you will need to purchase a ticket that grants access to the 4 museums on the tour. Tickets can be purchased at the Earthquake Museum, at the start of the tour.

Tour Producer

Jayson Augustyn-Clark

1 tour

Long standing Church Street resident, local heritage activist and Tulbagh hotelier, I am a member of the Tulbagh Museums Board of Trustees and the Dream Tulbagh Organisation. In addition to being a registered tour guide, I have recently complected a Masters thesis in Architectural conservation. I am delighted to have this opportunity to share with you my love and passion for Tulbagh and the remarkable history of Church Street.

Preview Location

Location 9

The Readers House

Stop here in front of this simple Cape building at number 12.

This is the oldest house in the street, even though its surrounded by later Victorian houses. The building was bought by the Church around 1750 as the home of their bible reader and sick comforter. In those days ... Stop here in front of this simple Cape building at number 12.

This is the oldest house in the street, even though its surrounded by later Victorian houses. The building was bought by the Church around 1750 as the home of their bible reader and sick comforter. In those days the Minister was a particularly strict and largely unapproachable man. The bible reader on the other hand, would have been part mid-wife and healer and part preacher and Sunday school teacher. People would have come here from far and wide to have their woes and ailments tended to. They would bring their children to be taught here, as well as a place for them to be born.

The front and side gables of this little cottage are what we call “mock chimney’ style. If you were to look upon this building from a distance, you would see what looked like three chimneys and could assume the interior to be warm and welcoming. The reality however was very different. Only the kitchen had a fireplace and chimney, which was designed to disperse most of the heat upwards, to prevent a dreaded roof fire.

Such fires were very common in previous times and whole thatched villages like Stellenbosch would regularly go up in smoke. Traditionally houses would be thatched with whatever reed and grass could be found at the river. Those roofs were often thick and porous, allowing in the insects, birds and rodents. Should even the tiniest ember touch a roof, it would burst into flame and quickly spread to destroy the entire roof structure. These days, most houses in the Western Cape are thatched with Cape Restio, a dense straight reed which is packed tightly onto the superstructure of the roof. This thatching grass is so solid that there is little chance of birds and rodents moving in and little space for errant sparks to settle.

Today this building is the popular Readers Restaurant. Even if you don’t have time to stop here for a meal or snack, do pop in to look around the interior of the building. You'll notice that it's effectively a long rectangular block divided into four rooms, with a later addition to the back giving the building its characteristic T shape.

When you're ready to move on, make your way over to the house next door, number 14. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Oude Kerk Volksmuseum
Earthquake Museum And Tourism Bureau
Readers Restaurant.
The Victorian House Museum
Pioneer House Museum
Church Street
Paddagang Wijn Huis and Venue
Tulbagh Country Guest House (CAPE DUTCH QUARTERS)
Tulbagh Kitchen Gardens T/A Boer & Blompot
BALLOTINA
Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk - Tulbagh

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Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
4 Church St, Tulbagh, 6820, South Africa
Total distance

1km
Final location
24-30 Van Der Stel St, Tulbagh, 6820, South Africa
Distance back to start location

263.28m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts at 4 Church Street (The Tourist Info Office/Earthquake Museum), the first building on the street. You will need to purchase a museum ticket of R20 at the Earthquake Museum before the tour.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Four museums, wine tasting, several restaurants, a park and gardens.

Best time of day

Best early in the day before the summer heat overwhelms. Museums are open from 8.30 to 5, Monday to Friday and 11 to 3 pm over the weekends.

Precautions

Tulbagh is a very low crime area, however as always remain cautious of flashing anything of value. The layabouts at the far end of the main road are a nuisance but are harmless.

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