Hopefield

Rural Hopefield, a 160 year old heritage town, the oldest on the West Coast, is situated between the Cape West Coast and the Swartland on the R45, about 125km from Cape Town.

The rolling wheat fields which form the basis for the town’s economy also wrap Hopefield in beautiful colours – green patchwork in winter and golden fields in summer. Dotted in the fields after harvest are sheep, which are also a major contribution to the area’s income. The town is now the commercial centre for the area east of Saldanha Bay which is known as Voorbaai.

Hopefield is probably best known to visitors for the Hopefield flower show that takes place over the last weekend of August each year. In spring, the town, especially near the Berg River Station and Langebaan Road, bursts into a wildflower garden of over 500 unique species of daisies and fynbos. This floral wonderland not only attracts visitors, but supports local honey farming, fuelled by the bees´ attraction to the sweet fynbos flowers.

The Langrietvlei and Heldervlei Hiking Trails along the Berg River are especially good for birding and there is a public fynbos reserve in town.

An internationally famous archaeological site is found about 13 km south-west of Hopefield on the farm Elandsfontein. Fossil bones and human artefacts from the early Stone Age (about 75 000 to 150 000 years ago) have been discovered here. The fossils include vertebrate and invertebrate species including extinct and evolutionary species. The most important discovery was the skull of an early human which could have been a Neanderthal Man. It has been named the ‘Hopefield Man’ and the ‘Saldanha Man’. Fossil deposits from Elandsfontein are on display at the tourism bureau, together with a cast of Saldanha Man. Address:  38 Voortrekker Street. Mon-Fri: 09:30-14:45.The nearby Fossil Park is well regarded, with a large collection of fossils from the area.

The district boasts several historic farms with Cape Dutch homesteads. Some have been declared national monuments including Langrietvlei (long reed marsh’), Kersfontein and Coenradenberg.

The Dutch Reformed Church congregation is over 150 years old, while the Church building in town is 92 years old. There is a replica of an original “hartebeeshuisie” (reed house), showing how the early settlers lived, with the typical furniture. Dirki’s Coffee and Curio Shop is one of the oldest remaining buildings. Apparently it once served as a granary and it seems to have been used as field hospital during the Anglo-Boer War (022) 7230272

For more information about this area, visit ShowMe West Coast. For more information on the Swartland, visit ShowMe Swartland.