Platteklip Wash House
The washerwomen of Cape Town worked here in the mid to late 19th century. Platteklip Wash House is on the slopes of the Mountain and has been carefully restored. These facilities, inaugurated in 1888 by Cape Town’s mayor, were built to provide washerwomen with a formal place to launder clothes.
The history of the washhouses in Cape Town is closely linked to life after the abolition of slavery in 1834. Many women supported themselves by washing clothes in streams such as the Platteklip and Liesbeek Rivers. At the time, restrictive laws also limited free black women from dressing in ways considered more prosperous than “respectable burger women.”
As washing along the streams increased, pollution became a problem and affected farms downstream. To manage this, public washhouses were built. The idea was not immediately welcomed. Many laundry women continued paying private landowners for access to stream water rather than using the new facilities.
When the city removed the washhouse fee, some women began using the seventy washing basins supplied with running water. Working upright at taps was far easier than bending for hours in rocky streambeds. As more women moved across, the washhouses became established, and the fee was eventually reintroduced.
At the wash house, there is self-catering accommodation for 24 people in six 4-sleeper rooms with linen provided.. There is a communal bathroom, a well-equipped kitchen and a warm sitting area with a fireplace. Outside there is a boma area with facilities. Bring your own firewood,
The venue is very popular for small weddings, conferences and other celebrations and the site forms part of the Washerwomen Trail, a 3 km historical route that pays homage to their legacy.
Washerwoman’s Trail
You can do a one-way walk or a circular route departing at Deer Park Café or Will’s Café & Deli at Homestead Park.
The distance is about 3-4km mostly downhill and takes about 1,5 to 2 hours. It is an easy hike Closed footgear is recommended.
This tour is for group bookings only. The cost depends on the group size
Sidmouth Ave Oranjezicht
