Day 02 - Bergville to Volksrust

It was overcast and 17C when I left Bergville and headed to Winterton. It is a pretty village with a number of restaurants, B&Bs and tourist shops and is well worth a stay over on a future trip. The weather remained overcast and cool for the rest of the day with the temperature peaking at about 24C. There were a couple of light drizzles throughout the day that did not prevent me taking some unpaved roads to reach the Battlefields.

Today's route did not include as many steep ascents, descents and winding roads as Day 01 (What a pity).

British Field Hospital [S28° 43' 16.9" E29° 32' 35.1"]

On the way to Spioenkop I noticed a sign "War Graves 180m". It is located on private property and is well signed and well kept by the farm owner. I parked the bike, opened a farm gate and walked about 150m to the grave site.

This location was the stationary field hospital setup by the British army in January and February 1900 to treat wounded soldiers. The graves are for the soldiers who succumbed from their wounds.

Spioenkop Battlefield [S28° 38' 56.5" E29° 31' 07.1"]

This was a MUST VISIT site on my list as I clearly remember the Battle of Spioenkop from the history books of my school days.

The road to the site is unpaved and more suitable for a 4x4 or high ground clearance vehicle. It would not be suitable for a motorbike if the road is wet.

After paying entrance fees at the main gate, a pamphlet is provided with battle site information and the directions for a 2km walking trail which takes one through the key battle points . On entering the site past the main gates, the road is paved to the summit.

By 11 October 1899, the relationship between the British and Boers had broken down and the second Anglo Boer War broke out.

Spioenkop was the highest point in the Boer defense line so it was a strategic point for the Boers to defend.

A British force of 1700 soldiers climbed the mountain in pitch darkness at 21h00 on 23 January 1900. By 02h00 they reached the plateau leading to the summit. As they proceeded to the summit in the darkness, the Boers challenged them at which point the battle erupted. The 15 Boer soldiers retreated of which 1 was killed on the summit. The British took control of the summit and claimed victory. The retreating Boer soldiers awakened the main Boer force that occupied a number of summits around Spioenkop. While it was still dark and misty about 400 Boers climbed the steep NE slope to the summit and General Botha placed seven field guns on three high points around Spioenkop. The main battle started.

After a fierce battle, the Boers took control of the summit.

Amajuba Battlefield [S27° 28' 01.0" E29° 50' 27.8"] (Appointment Only)

This was a MUST VISIT site on my list as I clearly remember the Battle of Majuba from the history books of my school days. Also refer to British Battles web site or You Tube.

I had the opportunity to visit the Majuba Battlefield in August 2021 on a 4x4 tour.

The site is on private property and there is a caravan/camping site at the entrance to the farm. When I arrived everything was locked up and no-one was in sight. There was no signage with contact details. I later found out that this site can only be visited by prior appointment by contacting Theuns at +27792747978.

I decided to take the long unpaved farm road to the Volksrust Caravan Park as this allowed me to pass a couple of other sites and enjoy the beautiful scenery.