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    16 things to do in Willowmore in the Karoo – Roxanne Reid

    King JajaBy No Comments9 Mins Read
    16 things to do in Willowmore in the Karoo – Roxanne Reid

    By Roxanne Reid
    Anyone who thinks South Africa’s Karoo is full of a whole lot of nothing just isn’t paying attention. Same goes for anyone who speeds past Willowmore in the Karoo without stopping to scratch beneath the surface. Here’s my pick of some of the things to do in and around this little dorpie.

    You’ll find Willowmore in the Eastern Cape, about 170km north-east of George and 117km south-west of Abderdeen in the Karoo. Although it was first established in 1864 and the district was proclaimed in 1874, its story goes all the way back to 1817, when the first farm was registered. Even today, the main source of income is farming, including angora goats for mohair. (You can see a selection of mohair products to buy at The Cozy Shed on the main road).

    Many Gauteng holiday-makers probably only know Willowmore as a signpost on the N9 that they whizz past on their way to Knysna on the Garden Route, but it’s really worth stopping to explore. It also makes a good kick-off point in the west for exploring the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area with its jagged mountains and rocky cliffs, its lush valleys and lichen-festooned trees.

    Willowmore has recently been announced as the Eastern Cape’s ‘Dorp van die Jaar 2023’ (town of the year) by Afrikaans TV programme, Kwela, so I’m not the only one who has fallen under its spell. When you visit, don’t miss Ollie the vintage yellow Anglia welcoming you to town as you approach from Uniondale. It’s an art installation of rusted objects and plants and a cool place for a photo.

    Here’s my pick of some of the best things to do in Willowmore.

    1. Pop into the tourism office
    Start your visit by ducking into the Baviaans Tourism Office in the municipal building on Knysna Street to ask about things to do in the area. They’ll give you a map of the major attractions, including various historical buildings and accommodation options, and tell you about things to do in the area. You can also contact them on tel (049) 807-5709 or https://www.baviaans.co.za. For other useful online info, see Willowmore Tourism’s website, where you can also download street maps of the town and the Baviaanskloof.

    2. Admire the old buildings

    ​Given that its history goes back to the 19th century, it’s no surprise that Willowmore is a delight for those who love the architecture of days gone by. Look out for The Town Hall in Knysna Street. Built around 1896, it’s a symmetrical Victorian building that might look more like a house if it weren’t for the unusual clock tower in the centre.

    At numbers 3 and 5 Wehmeyer Street are two lovely old Victorian houses, while at number 70 you’ll find an elegant double-storey Victorian, the first level dating back to 1864 and the top level added in 1897. Once the parsonage of the Dutch Reformed church, and later a girls’ hostel and then a boarding house, it’s now the delightful Willow Historical Guesthouse (see points 14/15).

    In Blignaut Street you can find the Old Jail with its plaster quoins at the corners, door and windows. Originally a jail complete with dungeon, it was lovingly converted into a guesthouse and art gallery with gorgeous gardens, but those are now rather forlorn. It’s apparently still used for retreats.

    You can see the town’s Jewish history in the (sadly neglected) old synagogue in Victoria Street. Built in 1908, it looks much like any church except for the Hebrew inscription at ground level and what’s left of a broken Star of David at the apex of the facade. This building was already in a state of disrepair when it suffered serious structural damage during the 1969 earthquake. It was deconsecrated in 1979, was used in the past to store old cars and furniture but now stands empty.

    The shul has its own ‘ghost’ story from the 1970s when heavy breathing sounds were heard issuing from the building. On investigation, though, it proved to be nothing more ghostly than an owl breeding in the roof.

    A building in Knysna Street used to be the rabbi’s house with a line of Stars of David worked into the stoep’s wooden railing. It’s now a funeral business and on our last visit in May 2023, I was horrified to see that the historic railing had been replaced with a galumphing modern one.

    There are lots of other gems in the Karoo style with corrugated iron stoep roofs that may be bell-curved or bull-nosed – a great protection against the ruthless Karoo sun. Spend some time wandering the streets to find them. You can drive or walk but best would be to bring your mountain bike and cycle up and down. Many of these lovely old buildings beg to be photographed.

    3. Wander around the Willowmore Cemetery 

    I may be odd, but I love old graveyards that reek of history and the stories the inscriptions tell. This one has graves dating back to the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and beyond. The oldest graves go back to the first half of the 1800s. To the right of the entrance are the graves of some ‘Cape Rebels’ executed by the British for supporting the Boer guerillas during the Anglo-Boer War. From here you can take a short hike to a small powder magazine used during battle to store gunpowder and ammunition, possibly during the Frontier Wars of the 1850s and 1870s.

    4. Visit the Jewish Cemetery

    Follow the signs from the northern end of the main road, which take you through a fairly neat but poor township. The gates to the Jewish Cemetery are locked but by the time you park someone carrying a key will appear to let you in. Willowmore used to have a thriving Jewish community until about the 1960s, and in this small, very well cared for graveyard you might find names like Feltman, Horowitz, Kaplan and Korelstein.

    5. Go hiking
    The Pierre Ferreira trail on the outskirts of Willowmore takes you through veld rich in succulents. You’ll pass two old Anglo-Boer War forts that were used to guard the railway line to Willowmore. It’s a 2-3 hour circular trail that gives good views of the village, and is especially pretty in the early morning or late afternoon. In summer when it’s very hot, make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen, and take plenty of water. New signposts need to be erected, but pop in to the tourism office on Knysna Street and they can give you easy directions.

    Or go hiking on Aasvoëlberg (vulture mountain) at Finchley Farm 2.5km south-west of Willowmore. It also looks out over the dorp and is one of the few places in the Karoo where coastal fynbos grows. You’ll need to pay a day visitor’s fee.

    Many of the accommodation providers in the western section of the Baviaanskloof also offer hiking trails for day visitors (for a fee). Some of those between 40km and 70km from the N9 along the R332 include

    6. Walk over the red bridge 

    The pedestrian bridge at the southern edge of town was built over the Noodsloot River in 1923 and much used when it was in flood. Back in those days, the road was just a drift. Even as recently as 2010 a flash flood hit Willowmore, turning the river into a torrent that flooded part of the main road. When we last visited in May 2023, it was good to see that this quaint little bridge was getting a bright new coat of red paint. Once the painting was finished, the flower pots would be remounted.

    7. Gaze at the stars
    The clean, dry Karoo air is perfect for indulging in some star gazing, especially if you stay somewhere away from the town lights – or indeed during hours of loadshedding! Try to move away from buildings so your view isn’t interrupted and you’ll see the planets, stars, Milky Way and other constellations more clearly and brightly than you will in any Big City.

    8. Meet your own Karoo Angel

    Don’t miss a visit to the Karoo Angels shop next to Absa in Knysna Street. This is an outlet for hand-made angels knitted from thin wire, with feathers, sequins and beads to add individual character. They’re so charming that you’ll want to buy more than one, whether as a Christmas decoration, dream-catcher or perhaps jewellery. They’re produced by crafters in the tiny settlements of Vondeling and Rietbron about 60 or 70km north-west of Willowmore. It all began back in 2006 as a social upliftment project spearheaded by two women from Gqeberha and today it’s still a huge success, with thousands of Karoo angels finding their way to other parts of the world, including Switzerland, France and Norway.

    9. Go mountain biking
    Bring your mountain bike and take to the gravel roads around Willowmore to feel the wind blow away the Big City cobwebs. Some guest farms in the area also have mountain biking tracks open to day visitors for a small fee. These include:

    10. See town by donkey cart 

    Look out for the flower-festooned Willow Limo donkey cart that’s usually parked on the main road. Enjoy a leisurely 20-minute ride around the streets of Willowmore while you listen to a local’s take on its story. It’s a wonderful way to slow your pace to Karoo time and will be a hit with your kids. There’s obviously a fee for the ride; think of it as food for the donkeys. If you’re not going on a donkey ride but want a photo of the donkeys and cart, ask first. The driver will want a small fee for a photo.

    11. Drive a 4×4 trail
    Put your 4×4 through its paces on a 4×4 track and at the same time enjoy the scenery of cliffs and valleys…

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