Battle of Rooilaagte Traditional Cache

The container is a small plastic bottle with a logsheet, bring your own writing tools.

The monument is situated on the hill next to the N12, but cannot be accessed due to the game fence around the property.

The battle has three names – Graspan, Enslin or Rooilaagte – after the three small communities close to the battlefield. Graspan and Enslin are both on the railway line, while Rooilaagte was just north of the main Boer positions.

The battle took place on 25 November 1899 and was a smaller repeat performance of Belmont, a little further north up the railway line. The Boers under de la Rey and Prinsloo inflicted heavy losses on the British advancing on their ridges before withdrawing on their sturdy ponies. Both Belmont and Graspan, costly victories each, affected Methuen deeply.