It would have been fun to stay in a charming old cottage of another vintage, tucked away under equally venerable trees in the grounds of the Somerset East museum.
That’s the problem with arriving late, when the emphasis is on quickly finding somewhere to stay. So, not knowing about the cottage, we ensconced ourselves at Archer’s in a particularly green and leafy part of the town.
Undoubtedly, Archer’s was much more spacious and comfortable, with every amenity one could ask of a self-catering outlet.
During a quick walk around the neighbourhood before the shadows fell, I wished I were in the market for an upmarket property. I have never seen such an array of magnificent homes, in glorious gardens, and all overlooked by the Bosberg mountains.
The first port of call in the morning was the double-storey Walter Battiss art gallery. The well-known artist lived for some time in Somerset East, and between 1913-1917 the gallery housed the Battiss Private Hotel.
Just up the hill is the museum, where I could visualise carriages arriving along the sweeping driveway.
What we found particularly appealing was that one of the ladies working at the museum offered us tea and biscuits, served at one of the long antique tables gracing the dining room.
It was a charming touch. With little fingers crooked, we were able to sip and slip into “yesteryear” mode.
Somerset East was established in 1825, when land on the slopes of the Bosberg was given to the Wesleyan missionaries for a chapel and a graveyard.
A somewhat ghoulish attraction
The chapel was consecrated in 1828, but the building and surrounding land was transferred to the Dutch Reformed Church a few years later, and in 1835 the chapel was converted into a parsonage.
One of the rooms also has the original beam from which some of those who participated in the Slagtersnek Rebellion were hanged - a somewhat ghoulish attraction.
Stepping inside the Afrikaanse Protestante Kerk was also an invitation to other earlier glories.
Lunching in the main street on particularly delectable quiches in the quaint Estique coffee shop, added to the feeling of well-being.
Then it was time to jump behind the wheel of my car and leave the town slumbering in its own history.
Archer B%26B %26 self-catering 042 243 2794.
Museum Cottage 042 243 2079.
somer
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