The Old Jail

Beschreibung

Activities and Attractions

Pierre Ferreira Hiking Trail:
The trail leads through beautiful virgin Karoo veld and past two old Boer War forts. It offers panoramic views over the charming village of Willowmore – particularly striking in the early morning or evening sun.

Willowmore Golf Course:
The club is one of few Karoo golf courses that boasts 9 grass greens, plus a practice range. Visitors are welcome every day to enjoy a unique – and inexpensive – round in an unspoiled setting.

Bakers Dam:
Built by South African Railways to supply water to steam locomotives stopping in Willowmore, the dam was taken over by the local Municipality as the town’s primary source of water when steam trains were eventually replaced by diesel. Today, bird watchers can spend hours observing the abundant birdlife at the dam.

Old Power Station:
Supplying the town with electricity until 1984, the power station is now a visitor attraction. It contains six Lister Blackstone diesel generators, one of which is the largest still in working order, using five litres of diesel every 15 minutes.

Old Boer Graveyard & Gunpowder Chamber:
A must-see sight in town is the old Boer graveyard with interesting headstones dating back to the Anglo Boer War. From here it’s just a short walk to the small chamber used during battle to store gunpowder and ammunition.

The “Wonderboom”:
This is truly remarkably freak of nature where two trees of different species have grown together to form one tree. It can be found approx. 10km outside Willowmore on the N9 towards Aberdeen.

Aasvoëlberg:
One of the few places in the Karoo where coastal fynbos grows, Aasvoëlberg (or Vulture Mountain) overlooks the town and offers panoramic views of the area. A number of trails provide hikers and mountain bikers with the opportunity to explore the fauna and flora of the mountain.

Willowmore

The town’s name derives from William Moore, a settler from England who arrived in the Cape of Good Hope in 1819. ‘The Willows’ trading centre and farm was set up in 1864 and was re-named Willow-More. The town grew to become magistracy in 1884 and a municipality a decade later.

The Baviaans Municipality now covers an area of 7 ,727 square kilometers with Willowmore as its administrative hub. Agriculture (notably mohair and wool production), tourism and service industries form the basis of the area’s economy.

Being on the edge of the famous Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, Willowmore offers a number of unique experiences including hiking, mountain biking and 4x4 trails. Small game hunting (principally wild pig, kudu, springbok and other antelope) is also popular in the area as is birdwatching.