The town of Somerset East lies in the southern Karoo Heartland at the foot of the Boschberg mountain. Somerset East was established by Lord Charles Somerset in 1815 as an experimental farm to provide meat and fresh produce to the soldiers on the Eastern Frontier. The site was chosen over sites in the Gamtoos Valley and Swartkops Valley. The farm was named Somerset Farm. Ten years after being established the project was cancelled and a new Drostdy was declared. The town of Somerset was established with the “East” being added 30 years later to avoid confusion with Somerset West outside Cape Town. Somerset East is home to a number of historic buildings of note while the surrounding area is great for activities like mountain biking and fly-fishing.