CALEDON VILLA CELEBRATES 100 YEARS IN 2010

This Historic bed and breakfast operates from a late Edwardian house that was built in 1910 at 7 Neethling street. It was flanked by stables and an open area towards the Eerste River where Stellenbosch originally held its agricultural expositions. There were basic services, but the area was relatively barren - in sharp contrast to the oak filled lanes that characterise the residential area bordering the historical town centre of today. Koos Krige, a reverend from Caledon (a rural town in the Overberg) built the house as his retirement home. After his death, his widow sold the house to the Van Brakel family, who owned it until 1992, when a Krige again took ownership. With the development of the house into a guest house, it was aptly named after the original owner's home town thereby anointing it among the most historic bed & breakfasts in Cape Town.

The Caledon Villa house displays an eclectic combination of architectural styles - from Victorian to Edwardian, Art Nouveau and Kaaps Hollands. Today, a number of fittings (and even the roof plates) are still original, vouching for the craftmanship and attention to quality and detail that prevailed at that time. The house was declared a national monument by the National Monuments Council in 1984.

Celebrating 100 years in this beautiful, old house, the Krige family will be inviting many friends of the house back to enjoy and share their memories of this historic b & b. It is also an opportunity to share some of the recent additions, changes and improvements to the guest house - including the spiral staircase to the roof garden, the attic with its porcelain doll collection and the addition of a number of interesting art pieces.