Wellington, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape
Wine
lands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa
with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of Cape Town
, reached by the N1
motorway and R44 highway. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township south of town, it now forms a de facto
urban unit with Paarl
, just 10km to the south.
Wellington is situated at the foot of the Groenberg on the banks of the Kromme Rivier (Dutch for Bend River) and forms the center of the Cape Winelands
with its picturesque environment and numerous wineries, Wellington's tourism industry has started to blossom. The erstwhile name of the 'dorp' (Dutch for thorp or village) was Wagenmakersvallei, meaning, Wagon makers valley, or Val du Charron as the French Huguenots called it. The town is at the base of one of the oldest mountain passes in the country, Bain's Kloof Pass
, built by master road-builder Andrew Geddes Bain
. The town is the home of the Boland Rugby Union and the professional rugby team the Boland Kavaliers. The town is also an academic centre, with Huguenot College, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the Timothy Ministry Team
, Bible Media, Huguenot High School and Bergriver Senior Secondary School amongst others.
The beauty of the area is best viewed either by foot, by horse or by car to take in the scenery of nature, fynbos
, wine, olives and the historical buildings to name but a few. The pass up to Bain's Kloof winds through pine tree plantations, to the summit where on a clear day you can see a vast area, consisting of the Swartland
to the left, home of the extensive wheat fields, the Cape Flats
and Cape Town to the right, and the sun glimmering on the sea.
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
Wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
lands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, reached by the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
motorway and R44 highway. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township south of town, it now forms a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
urban unit with Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
, just 10km to the south.
Wellington is situated at the foot of the Groenberg on the banks of the Kromme Rivier (Dutch for Bend River) and forms the center of the Cape Winelands
Cape Winelands District Municipality
The Cape Winelands District Municipality, formerly the Boland District Municipality, is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 712,413...
with its picturesque environment and numerous wineries, Wellington's tourism industry has started to blossom. The erstwhile name of the 'dorp' (Dutch for thorp or village) was Wagenmakersvallei, meaning, Wagon makers valley, or Val du Charron as the French Huguenots called it. The town is at the base of one of the oldest mountain passes in the country, Bain's Kloof Pass
Bainskloof Pass
Bainskloof Pass is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa, on the Regional road R303 between Wellington and Ceres. This 30 kilometer pass was completed in 1853 and is one of the most picturesque passes in the Cape. The pass was built using convict labour, by Andrew Geddes Bain, the...
, built by master road-builder Andrew Geddes Bain
Andrew Geddes Bain
Andrew Geddes Bain , South African geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer.-Life history:...
. The town is the home of the Boland Rugby Union and the professional rugby team the Boland Kavaliers. The town is also an academic centre, with Huguenot College, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the Timothy Ministry Team
Timothy Ministry Team
The ' , is a Christian bible school situated in Wellington, South Africa.-History:The Timothy Leadership Project was started by and still strongly linked to . The team was led by Jurie and Karin Kriel, who are now part of the Doxa Deo group. The first 10 students was enrolled in January 2001. At...
, Bible Media, Huguenot High School and Bergriver Senior Secondary School amongst others.
The beauty of the area is best viewed either by foot, by horse or by car to take in the scenery of nature, fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
, wine, olives and the historical buildings to name but a few. The pass up to Bain's Kloof winds through pine tree plantations, to the summit where on a clear day you can see a vast area, consisting of the Swartland
Swartland
The Swartland begins some 50 kilometres north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east...
to the left, home of the extensive wheat fields, the Cape Flats
Cape Flats
The Cape Flats is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. To many people in Cape Town, the area is known simply as 'The Flats'....
and Cape Town to the right, and the sun glimmering on the sea.