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Blaauwklippen manor house and other buildings destroyed in a fire

District Mail and Helderberg Gazette

|

11 Apr 2024

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A fire that broke out on a neighbouring farm in the early hours of Sunday morning resulted in devastating destruction to some of Blaauwklippen Estate’s iconic buildings. The fire spread to the manor house from the dam’s side, then to the Jonkershuis and eventually the cathedral. All three buildings burnt to the ground. Six firefighting teams, including Blaauwklippen’s disaster management team, together with neighbouring farms, were on the scene within minutes to attend to the fire, which was one of five in the area. No injuries were reported, although the destruction, due mainly to gale-force winds was devastating. Stellenbosch’s oldest wine farm dates back to 1682, the Jonkershuis was built in 1720, the manor house in 1789, the latest addition the popular wedding venue the Cathedral, built in 2018. Despite the tragedy of heritage-rich landmarks gutted in the blaze the estate expressed gratitude that no lives were lost and acknowledged the swift evacuation and heroic efforts of personnel Stefan, Chrisma and their teams, who ensured no-one was injured. For safety reasons the property will be closed to the public until further notice.

Blaauwklippen manor house and other buildings destroyed in a fire

District Mail and Helderberg Gazette

|

11 Apr 2024

A fire that broke out on a neighbouring farm in the early hours of Sunday morning resulted in devastating destruction to some of Blaauwklippen Estate’s iconic buildings. The fire spread to the manor house from the dam’s side, then to the Jonkershuis and eventually the cathedral. All three buildings burnt to the ground. Six firefighting teams, including Blaauwklippen’s disaster management team, together with neighbouring farms, were on the scene within minutes to attend to the fire, which was one of five in the area. No injuries were reported, although the destruction, due mainly to gale-force winds was devastating. Stellenbosch’s oldest wine farm dates back to 1682, the Jonkershuis was built in 1720, the manor house in 1789, the latest addition the popular wedding venue the Cathedral, built in 2018. Despite the tragedy of heritage-rich landmarks gutted in the blaze the estate expressed gratitude that no lives were lost and acknowledged the swift evacuation and heroic efforts of personnel Stefan, Chrisma and their teams, who ensured no-one was injured. For safety reasons the property will be closed to the public until further notice.

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