There are a number of interesting and fun-filled walking tours taking place over Festival, covering a wide gamut of Grahamstown's history.
The Saints, Sinners and Students tour takes place on 3, 5 and 10 July. Starting at the Albany Museum (the second oldest in South Africa), the tour includes an amazing variety of scenes and scenarios of 19th century military, judicial and religious life in Grahamstown.
There are a number of interesting and fun-filled walking tours taking place over Festival, covering a wide gamut of Grahamstown's history.
The Saints, Sinners and Students tour takes place on 3, 5 and 10 July. Starting at the Albany Museum (the second oldest in South Africa), the tour includes an amazing variety of scenes and scenarios of 19th century military, judicial and religious life in Grahamstown.
The tour will include buildings of architectural interest and a cast of past Grahamstonians, including Piet Retief, Dick King, Makana (Nxele), Sir Harry and Lady Juana Smith. Walkers will also learn about the founding of Rhodes University and the Albany Museum.
The Stately Homes and Old School Ties tour focusses on the architecture and history of some of South Africa's oldest independent schools, St Andrew's College and the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG).
It starts at the St Andrew’s Resource Centre and ends at the oldest working post-box in South Africa.
The elegant residences on Worcester Street will also be toured, allowing the public to view Gothic arches, Victorian bow windows and rose-stained glass chapel windows.
Besides the Herbert Baker-designed St Andrew’s Chapel and White-Cooper hostels, DSG’s Victoria Hall leads us to the post Edwardian period of noteworthy feminists like Headmistress Lilla Strong.
The tour takes place on 8 and 11 July.
The Settler Skeletons and Colourful Characters tour begins at The Cock House, a large guest house, named after the Port Alfred Harbour visionary, William Cock.
It features a wide spectrum of Grahamstown's history, including tours of the Wesley Church, Market Square, the Anglican "village" and Grahamstown's first hospital.
The colourful cast includes Norden the Jewish settler, Will the undertaker, John Brown and William Cock, the businessmen, Bishop Nathaniel Merriman, the Baptist Millers and the Hospital medical staff.
Finally, the Diamonds, Bagpipes and the Mother Superior tour will introduce viewers to the Wood, Huntley and Brookshaw families, Protestants and Catholics, soldiers and scholars, as well as the indomitable Mother Gertrude, founder of the Assumption Convent.
Beginning in the elegant drawing room of Brookshaw Home, once the haunt of George Wood and a school for orphan girls, the tour will include views of Trinity Church, the Albany Drill Hall, the stone School Board building, and Good Shepherd primary school.
It ends at the National English Literary Museum (NELM) where you can literally turn back the pages of Grahamstown’s fascinating history, recall a diamond story and hear of the new NELM.
Each tour costs R50 per person (minimum 6 persons or R300).
