Décor and Style

The décor and style of Redford House is a mixture of Georgian, “Cape Platteland” and Cape Dutch. The architecture is Georgian, but has been adapted to suit South African country life. Deepset fireplaces are typical of those in Cape Dutch houses. Wood and textured materials accentuate an ambience of old world quality. Light streams through big sash windows. The rooms are airy and spacious, but at the same time they are cosy. Modern facilities make for comfortable living.

The Accommodation consists of three units, which are separate from the old Redford farmhouse. They are Noble House, The Carriage House and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's Cottage.

Breakfast

Guests in Noble House and The Carriage House have breakfast included, and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's Cottage is self-catering. Breakfast is served in the farmhouse kitchen or on the patio overlooking the pool. Guests will be personally attended by their hosts. Warmth, delicious food and local stories are the order of the day.

Dinner

Candlelight dinners in the old Settler's Dining Room can be organized by prior arrangement, with stories of the days when elephant and buffalo roamed freely a few generations ago, and how the early settlers came into the area to cut down the precious Stinkwood and yellowwood trees in the dense forests.

 

Noble House

Noble House is a double storey Georgian house with two suites. Upstairs are two double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms with both bath and shower. Both suites have king sized beds, tea and coffee facilities and TVs. There is a small writing room on the lobby between the two bedrooms. The bedrooms have lovely views of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, lake, nature reserve, gardens and old oak trees.

Downstairs is a very large double sitting room with two fireplaces. There are comfortable couches and bookshelves and a small fridge in one of the cupboards. The house is furnished with antiques, and is most ideal for four friends or family travelling together.

Adjoining the house, at the back, are carports, so that there is easy access into the house after going out at night.

The Carriage House

This old wagon or carriage house has been restored as a guest cottage, and has had a checkered history as a stable and a shop. It has very thick walls and a ceiling made of whole poplar trees supporting an oregan pine ceiling. It consists of a very large bedroom with an en-suite bathroom with both bath and shower. It has a four poster Queen sized brass and iron bed. There are two comfy arm chairs and tea and coffee facilities. The views are of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, lake and pond, gardens and old oaks.

Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's Cottage

Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's Cottage is self-catering, and has a bedroom with a queen sized bed, sitting/dining room, kitchen, bathroom with bath and outside shower. There is a second tiny bedroom, adjacent to the bathroom, which would be suitable for a small child. The cottage has a garden, outside table and chairs, and barbecue facilities.

(Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, as many of you will know, is a character in Beatrice Potter's stories for children. She was a hedgehog who had a sweet little cottage in the country.)

History of the house

The Old House was built by Jim Bern. He was the son-in-law of William Derbyshire who came to South Africa by boat from England and settled here in 1849. William and his family were brought out with a number of other English families to work for the Earl of Newdigate who built a beautiful manor house overlooking the sea at The Crags. In 1851 William was granted a piece of land at the Crags, which he called Redford . Later he built a large house and a watermill on the farm. It seemed as if history had turned almost full cycle when Clive found out that his own great-great grandfather John Noble, had come out with the same group of settlers as William Derbyshire. Many an amazing tale has been told of the early English and Dutch settlers and the adventures they had in building up a life for themselves in what was then a wild area with great forests inhabited by elephants and herds of buffalo. Stories of these times can be heard beside the fire in the old settlers' dining room at Redford , while enjoying a candlelight dinner. These can be arranged with your hosts, Colleen and Clive Noble.

The Nobles are distantly related to Sir Charles Lyell who is known as the “Father of Geology”. He was a close friend and colleague of Charles Darwin and his geological research was valuable in Charles Darwin's postulation of the Theory of Evolution. Charles Darwin described the Garden Route as being the smallest but the richest floral kingdom in the world. More species of flora are found in a square meter in the Garden Route , than anywhere else in the world and this is why it is so important to save what we can.