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De Erf Manor House - Accommodation in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape, South Africa

De Erf Manor House - Accommodation in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape. Graaff-Reinet is virtually a living museum and it contains more proclaimed national monuments than any other town in South Africa. About 3 km directly south of Graaff-Reinet the majestic Spandaukop towers over, an almost forgotten architectural relic of early Graaff-Reinet, the homestead of the farm De Erf which lies along the Sundays River.The homestead with its whitewashed walls and towering gables was built around 1806. It has the unique Cape Dutch H-shape design that it shares, in Graaff-Reinet. In 2004 we bought the much neglected farm and house and set about to restore it to its former glory. Almost all of the outbuildings used over the years such as the forgery, the coach house and the blacksmith’s shop are still intact.

Price: 4

bed and breakfast

3 queens 1 Honeymoon suite

There are three luxurious and exclusive units available. All of the rooms are equipped with filter coffee and tea making facilities. A fruit basket, sherry and fresh rain water in a cooler will await your arrival. The rooms are en suite; two with showers and one with a ball and claw bath. The latter has 2 ľ beds whereas the others have queen sized double beds. There are clean percale linen, towels, pure wool duvets, duck down pillows as well as bathroom amenities in all the rooms. The rooms have air conditioning, fans and satellite television (DSTv). A wooden chest houses anything else one may need such as insect repellent and the like. The rooms have high wooden ceilings and the décor can probably be described best as being Afro-chic. De Erf also provides the facilities (and caters) for up-market weddings, honeymoons and other functions. The weddings and functions are held on the spacious lawn terrace, next to the pool, in a fancy marquis tent which overlooks our lush oats and lucerne fields.

The first and foremost activity at De Erf is fine dining. The blacksmith's shop itself has become the dining room where Ilse's delectable dishes are served accompanied by fine wines from their cellar. Only farm fresh ingredients find their way to the menu. Guests will discover diverse yet delicious offerings. A typical day starts with mouth-watering breakfast servings including layers of fresh fruit, yoghurt and muesli topped with honey, the traditional Blacksmith's breakfast with Karoo mutton sausage, bacon, eggs, potato and mushroom ramekins or berry crumpets. At night a guest might opt for a curried sweet potato soup or venison pancakes as starters followed by a main course of stuffed quail with an orange and white wine reduction served with potato rösti and pan fried orange wedges, or, equally flavoursome, lamb dishes of various kinds served with savoury couscous and stir fried summer vegetables. There are, aside from the little farm things, a swimming pool, two unridable horses and a milk cow that tends to wander off. Graaff-Reinet, a living museum, beckons to be discovered. Almost anything else can be arranged on request, from skydiving to bird watching.