https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/nGAWcR_Kb_w&source=udsBethelsdorp isn't your normal run of the mill tourist destination yet is has a number of very interesting historical attractions and Van der Kemp's Kloof Nature Reserve to show off to visitors. Pasella visited Bethelsdorp a year or so ago and produced this insert for the show on SABC 2. Enjoy!
The Almshouses in Bethelsdorp was built in 1822 and formed part of the Bethelsdorp Mission Station. The houses can still be seen just behind the Van Der Kemp Memorial Church. An interesting feature of the Almshouses is the original cornerstone which is still visible.
I received a couple of comments by beedeeboy on the Van Der Kemps Kloof and Van Der Kemps Memorial Church posts I have done before. He asked if I had a picture of the old Mission Bell. Well, I went looking and I have one, but I will have to get more next time I'm down that way. The Market Square with the Mission Bell was erected in 1815 in front of the Van Der Kemps Memorial Church which was…
Van Der Kemp's Kloof is situated at Bethelsdorp on the northern side of Port Elizabeth. The Kloof is one of six deep, steep-sided valleys cutting into the escarpment in this area. The Van Der Kemp's Kloof Trail is a circular trail and starts at the historic Bethelsdorp Village. The trail is 8km long (three hours) but can be shortened to 4 km. It follows the little Swartkops River into the secluded and scenic Van Der Kemp's Kloof, returning through the…
Today's post is a follow-up of yesterdays. Yesterday I showed you the Almshouses in the historic part of Bethelsdorp and told you that the original cornerstone is still visible. For today I wanted to show you a pic of the actual cornerstone. For Europeans 1822 may not be very old, but over here in Port Elizabeth it is a mere 2 years after the landing of the British Settlers.
Bethelsdorp in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth was founded as the first mission station in the Eastern Cape by London Missionaries Van der Kemp and Read in 1802. They convinced the Colonial government of the Cape to establish a settlement for the indigenous people on educational, religious and social ground. The Almshouses built in 1822 was part of the Mission Station and can still be seen just behind the Van Der Kemp Memorial Church. An interesting feature of the…
Bethelsdorp Village was established in 1803 by Dr Johannes Theodorus Van Der Kemp, a missionary working among the Khoikhoi. Many of the old buildings in Bethelsdorp Village are protected by the National Monuments Act. The Van Der Kemps Memorial Church in the village was first built in 1803 and is generally regarded as the first Congregational church in southern Africa. It was destroyed by fire in 1890, rebuilt in 1903 and again in 1926 and extended in 1985. Behind the…