Wolseley

• Province: Western Cape
• District: Cape Winelands
• Coordinates: 33°24′47″S 19°12′06″E
• Area: 5.0 km2
• Municipality: Witzenberg

Wolseley is in the Breede River Valley of the Western Cape, about 90 kilometres north-east of Cape Town. The town lies south of Ceres and east of Tulbagh, with the Witzenberg Mountains forming part of the surrounding landscape. It is accessed via the R43 and R46 routes and sits near the Mitchells Pass connection between Ceres and the broader valley region. The area is known for fruit farming, vineyards and mountain scenery, forming part of the wider Cape Winelands region.

History of Wolseley

Wolseley was established in 1875 on the farm Goedgevonden (meaning “well found”). It began as a railway stop known as Ceres Road Station, providing farmers from the Ceres valley with a way to transport fruit, wheat and other produce over the mountains and onto trains bound for Cape Town.

The settlement was later named Wolseley in honour of Sir Garnet Wolseley, a British military officer who was Governor of Natal and Commander-in-Chief of British forces at the time. The name was officially adopted in 1910.

Wolseley is one of only two towns in the world built on a natural, level watershed. The town rests on the divide between two different river systems. Rain falling on one side of the town’s main plain drains into the Berg River to the Atlantic Ocean, while rain on the other will join the Breede River and flow into the Indian Ocean.

Fruit industry in Wolseley

The village was first developed as a railhead for the local fruit growers. The line reached Wolseley in 1876. Soon, the village developed a small yet thriving industrial base.

Many of the town’s buildings were damaged in the 1969 earthquake.

The Cape Orchard Company was begun here by Leicester Dicey in the 1890s. He and his cousin built up a large fruit-growing industry, along with supporting industries such as wooden crate building in the area. Tree nurseries were also established to grow strong trees. Railway lines were extended to Wolseley to transport the fruit to Cape Town.

Ceres Road was at the entrance to Mitchell’s Pass and adjoined the Village of Wolseley. Both were established after the railway line from Cape Town and Tulbagh Road reached Ceres Road on 3 November 1875.

Anglo-Boer War

The Anglo-Boer War blockhouse built in 1901 is remarkably intact. It was not a standard stone fort. The British military needed quick, mass-produced defensive towers. They built these by taking two large corrugated iron water tanks. They fitted the smaller one inside the larger one, and packed the space between them with earth and stones to make them bulletproof. The one just outside Wolseley stands as one of the best-preserved examples left in the country.

The first wool washery in the country was built here, and the first fruit cannery opened in 1936

The postcode for Wolseley is 6830. And the number plate prefix is CFA

Things to see and do in Wolseley

• Kluitjieskraal MTB route 0609730485 41 kilometres of stunning mountain and forest views, with a shorter 14-kilometre option
• Anglo-Boer War blockhouses in the area were built by the British during the Anglo-Boer War in 1901 to protect the Railway bridges. Many of these require repair, but the local blockhouses are remarkably intact
• . The Creative Hub, a local deli, is guarded by life-sized, fireless dragon sculptures and huge fantastical creatures made from discarded oil drums, old gas bottles, and rusted car parts by local metal artisans

Transport

Wolesley is served by Metrorail  Services and minibus taxis. See linked pages for details. Other options for getting around the Western Cape.

Resources

Practical information for the Western Cape, Regulations, permits and helpful tips. See the Colourdots coastal and nature use guide

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