Wynberg is named for a farm De Oude Wijnbergh (old wine mountain), and the part of it explored here is often called Little Chelsea or Chelsea Village, a homage to London's Chelsea. This collection of historic buildings is one of the most dense in the country, and in 1981 the whole village has been proclaimed as conservation area of considerable character, as well as being of historical, architectural and environmental importance. It is one of the few areas close to the City of Cape Town which have retained their historical character.
Our tour starts on the village square — or more accurately the village triangle. Two important roads intersect here, Wolfe Street and Durban Road.
Across the road to the North of the village square is the old apothecary and the first village post office (map ref 28), the latter being housed in the Parbhoo complex which is now home to one of the oldest family-run businesses in the village — a shoe shop.
S1 - Let E be the old apothecary's location number on the map on the village square.
To the North East of the village square is Rozendal Cottage (map ref 34). Now used as an office by City Parks, this cottage is named for a farm was bought by James Mortimer Maynard in 1838. He built his home, Maynard's Villa (map ref 29), and the remains of his estate now form the Maynardville park. Maynardville is a popular recreation spot for locals, and its open air theater hosts an annual Shakespearean production.
S2 - Let D equal four less than the number painted on the fire extinguisher outside the front door of Rozendal Cottage.
Continuing up Wolfe Street with Maynardville on your right, you'll pass Cafe Verdi and Four & Twenty. The former is an English-style pub, and the latter is a well known Cape Town eatery.
As you pass Cruse and Standard lanes, you will see the old Standard Inn (map ref 30), now the Wynberg Club. The Standard Inn was the enlisted men's pub, serving those from the nearby Wynberg military base [GC8EED5]. As a garrison town, the military base was an important influence in the development of the village, since many of the first residents were officers based here.
S3 - Let B & H be the seventh and eighth digits of the club's phone number, as on the sign at Standard Lane.
Once you're past the mineral water bottling factory (map ref 32), head up Young or Roos lanes through the old Muslim enclave (map ref 33) dating back to 1820. Our next stop is the Dutch Reformed Church (map ref 6) on the corner of Durban Road & Carr Hill Road.
The Dutch Reformed Church was one of two churches around which the village grew, the other being the oldest Anglican Church in Cape Town, St John's [GC8EEF4], which is a bit further up the road past the traffic lights. (There's a third church commonly mentioned in historical accounts, the Methodist [GC8EEH2], with a more torrid history.) In 1884, the Dutch Reformed Church started a "school in the bush" for girls, which has evolved into Wynberg Girls High School.
S4 - Let F & G be the fourth and fifth digits of the last phone number on the sign at the Church's gate.
Heading back down Durban Street, you'll pass the village green (map ref 8) where travellers on their way from Cape Town to Simonstown could stop and rest their horses half way between Table Bay and False Bay.
Turning left into Riebeek Street just after Laundry Cottage (map ref 10) will take you past the Crankhandle Club (map ref 12). Originally the village fire station, this building is now home to a vintage car club and houses two of the oldest cars in South Africa.
S5 - Let A equal the number of fire engines on permanent display in the parking lot of the Crankhandle Club.
Once you're back on Wolfe Street, head South towards Lonsdale Street and our last stop on the tour. On the way you'll pass the Kent and Albany cottages (map ref 18) on one side of Victoria Street, and Clarence, Victoria & Albert cottages on the other. These thatched cottages are typical of the original houses in the village, and their names show the strong English influence in the village. Just next door are the slightly pink walls of Rembrandt Cottage (map ref 19), which once housed Mrs Teazel's Sweet Shop.
On the corner of Wolfe and Lonsdale streets is a beautiful double storey Victorian commercial building was built, perhaps the most striking in the village (map ref 20). It is listed as the old bakery on the village green map, but this is unclear as the South African heritage register records this as being on Durban Road close to the church.
S6 - Let C be the number of seahorses on top of this Victorian commercial building.
Now you've gathered all the clues and enjoyed a walk around Little Chelsea, you'll find your final stop at:
S 34° A.BCD' E 18° E.FGH'
Note: this part of the village is very popular with muggles, including the car guarding kind who're often there 'til late at night, so you will need to have your wits about you and use stealth.
For a list of references and more information, please see: