The 300-year-old Manor House at Blaauwklippen Vineyards outside Stellenbosch has been gutted by a fire that broke out on a neighbouring farm.
The historic Manor House, Jonkershuis and Cathedral burnt down over the weekend as relentless weather conditions wreaked havoc across the province.
“This is a devastating loss not only for Blaauwklippen Wine Estate but for South African heritage,” said CEO of Newmark Hotels & Reserves, Neil Markovitz.
“Both the Jonkerhuis and Manor House were beautiful examples of Cape Dutch architecture dating back to the 1700s.”
As reported by News24, the fire was fuelled by strong gale-force winds.
As per a statement released by the Blaauwklippen management, the fire broke out at a neighbouring farm early on Monday morning.
“The fire spread to the Manor House from the dam’s side, then to the Jonkershuis and eventually to the Cathedral. All three buildings have burned to the ground,” it said.
Markovitz confirmed in a statement that the wine estate’s owners have committed to rebuilding and restoring its 300-year-old Manor House.
“Markovitz added that Blaauwklippen’s owners had already made a firm commitment to rebuild and restore the Manor House and that Newmark’s operational teams would assist with this,” read the statement.
Article adapted from a report shared by Cape Town Etc.
