Simon’s Town Historical Mile #4: West Side
Note: The given coordinates are for the Parking area & start of the trail
This is one of four caches hidden along/below/above the Simon's Town Historical Mile, St George’s Street, which runs from the rail station to the East Dock access gates. It has 21 buildings over 150 years old and includes 4 museums, the Church of St Francis (thought be the oldest Anglican Church in the country) and a Mosque built in 1926. A map and detailed information is available at the information office on St Georges Street just south of Jubilee Square. For a fascinating historical map of Simon’s Town visit www.awhaleofaheritageroute.co.za/simonstown.pdf.
The cache can be done as a stand-alone but can easily be done together with Simon’s Town Historical Mile #3: Wesleyan Methodist Church GC391ZR which you will pass en route. It includes some more of the less well-known historical features and takes you through a western portion of the town which has some fine old buildings and (from the highest point of the trail) great views over the harbour and False Bay. The trail can easily be done in under an hour and provides some modest cardiovascular stimulation!
Simon’s Town History
The town (officially called Simon’s Town, but often referred to as Simonstown) was originally named Simon’s Vlek after Simon van der Stel, the Dutch governor of the Cape Colony between 1677 and 1699, who surveyed the bay east of Cape Town in 1687 and earmarked it as a safe winter harbour during the months of May to September for which it was finally proclaimed in 1741. It subsequently became the headquarters of the South Africa Navy. In November 2010, special celebrations were held marking the 100th anniversary of the opening of the East Dockyard.
For a useful summary history see www.simonstown.com/articles/thingsabout.htm. This website also has lots of other interesting and useful information about Simon’s Town and the surrounding area. The book ‘Simon’s Town – Its History’ by the Simon’s Town Historical Society (2000) ISBN: 0620360119 Quagga Books, Cape Town gives a detailed and illustrated history of the town.
To find the cache:
Park at or near the Simon’s Town Museum @ S34 11.469 E18 25.666
Step 1: Locate the Adriaan De Nys tombstone memorial plaque @ S34 11.475 E18 25.658. The tombstone was discovered during the building of a police station in 193A
Step 2: Proceed to S34 11.3(A-1)4 E18 25.5A3. Look over the wall into the gardens of the naval establishment. To either side of the blue statue is a cannon. The left one is pointing directly at the doors of a building across the lawn. There are B horizontal rows of window panes in these doors.
Step 3: After checking the plaque marking the old toll gate @ S34 11.366 E18 25.556 head for S34 11.B00 E18 25.5(B+2)9 where you will find a notable botanical specimen which was saved in 19C1
Step 4: Now head up the road past the old wine-house (with its plaque @ S34 11.427 E18 25.582) and then right up Arsenal Way (Man Utd fans will just have to grit their teeth!!). Continue to S34 11.C(B+C)9 E18 25.6(C-1)B at the top of Victoria Lane. Look at the nearby old cableway tower. There are 1D rungs on the metal ladder on this tower.
Step 5: Head down the lane and turn right at the bottom passing the Wesleyan Methodist Church on the right (and location of the easy multi Simon’s Town Historical Mile #3: Wesleyan Methodist Church GC391ZR which will provide you with 5-10 minutes of additional caching activity). At S34 11.6(D-8)(D-C) E18 25.7(B-2)D head down the 1E steps to the street below
Step 6: On reaching the main road, turn left and proceed to the famous old hostelry @ S34 11.5(B+E)C E18 25.7(E-1)C. From the plaque on the wall by the entrance, you will note that a famous seaman was in town for a month in 177F
Step 7: Carefully (!) cross over the road to locate a plaque in Afrikaans @ S34 11.4(F+E)0 E18 25.6E(F+1). The latest of the six dates appearing on the plaque is 181G
Step 8: Finally head into the grounds of the Anglican church on the corner and locate the plaque on the grill gate @ S34 11.4(G+2)F E18 25.6(F-B)7 in memory of John Craig who was born in 19H4
The cache, a camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden at:
S34 11.(B-1)(F+1)(G+C) E18 25.C(D-A-E)(H+E+F)
