Touring Paradise, St George’s Street — ‘memory mile’ of a Naval Town part 1 October 15, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Hotels, Memorial, Museum, Rail Pass, Restaurant, South Africa, Tickets, Tour, Trails, Trip , trackbackThe buildings that rise in steep terraces above Simon’s Bay look down on a harbour that sheltered square-rigged warships with muzzle-loader guns, and today protects the deadly submarines of the South African Navy.
Between the houses and the sea runs Simon’s Town’s St George’s Street — a thoroughfare that has echoed to the tramp of marching feet for many generations. Countless sailors from throughout the world have a memory-filled corner of their hearts reserved for what is known today as ‘the historic mile’ — the central section of St George’s Street.
To the memory of Tom Cockroach Park at the railway station, and walk towards the town centre on the sea side of the road to get the best view of the town’s historic features. This side of the road also offers more shade, especially in the morning. There are restaurants and cafeterias along the route. Allow at least two hours for the complete walk.
The beginning of your walk is slightly uphill, and you pass on your right a fine double-storey building with a central pediment. This is known as Palace Barracks and is now naval property. Built early in the last century by John Osmond, it was originally named ‘Mount Curtis’, but soon became known as ‘The Palace’ in tribute to Osmond, known in his day as ‘the king of Simon’s Town‘.
Some 400m further, on the left, in the gardens of Admiralty House, is the figurehead of HMS Flora, a 36-gun frigate which served as the Simon’s Town guardship for 20 years until 1891. Although Naval Headquarters moved to Pretoria in 1977, Admiralty House, which dates back to about 1740, is the official residence of the Naval Officer-in-Command, Simon’s Town, and is used by the Chief of the Navy when he visits the Cape. The 40-roomed building was acquired by the Royal Navy in 1814, and housed successive British admirals until 1957, when it was handed over to the South African Navy together with the naval base.
After passing the gates of Admiralty House you will see on the right an old building known as Stud-land, built in about 1800 as a wine house and later serving as a home for the manager of the brewery that stands alongside it (dated 1830).
Turn left into Court Road, at the corner of which stands the Church of St Francis of Assisi (Anglican). Simon’s Town is the oldest Anglican parish in South Africa, dating from the first British landings in 1795. The present church, consecrated in 1837, houses some very fine memorials, including one to the men of HMS Boadicea, listing names such as Tom Cockroach’, ‘Jack Ropeyam’, ‘Bottle of Beer’ and ‘Blackwhale’. These were West African ‘kroomen’ who served with the Royal Navy and whose proper names were unpronounceable to the British sailors.
A grog barrel and a slave-ship gun 100m down Court Road is The Residency, which now houses the Simon’s Town Museum. Built in 1772 to house the Governor on his visits to Simon’s Town, it later served as a home, a school, and a post office, before being bought by the Cape Government in 1814. Since then it has been a customs house, port office, prison — with slave quarters below serving as cells — and a magistrate’s court. Museum exhibits include a ‘grog’ barrel donated by the Royal Navy, a model of Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory (Nelson visited Simon’s Town as a young lieutenant) and a rare brass-barrelled flintlock swivel gun taken from a slave ship early last century. A corner of the museum is devoted to Able Seaman Just Nuisance, the Royal Navy’s canine mascot during World War II.
Return to St George’s Street and turn left, looking out for a number of plaques set in the white-painted wall on your left that record the history of various buildings in the dockyard. One of these historic buildings is the Dockyard Church,or sail loft, used since 1801 and easily recognised because of its clock tower. It is now known as St George’s Church.
You now pass on your right a number of the short, steep streets thatare so typical of central Simon’s Town. After a short distance you come to a small restaurant on your right, in a buildingthat was designed by Sir Herbert Baker for Cecil John Rhodes. Immediately after this is the British Hotel, a three- storey building with elaborate cast ironwork — originally built in 1819 and renovated in 1898.
On the left side of St George’s Street you now come to the West Dockyard Gate, where a plaque records the building of the first slipway in 1859 over a granite outcrop known as Sober Island. (The public may enter the harbour area at Wharf Road, a few metres further along on the left, but no dogs are allowed.)
Outside the Post Office, on the corner of Wharf Road, are a blubber pot from whaling days and two large cannons. Opposite the second cannon is Union Lane, from where you can see a small white-washed building, originally the Union Tavernand dating back to 1806.
Near to the Post Office, on the left, is a small stone cairn commemorating the many people uprooted from their homes in Simon’s Town in 1967 by the Group Areas Act. Opposite this is Rectory Lane, with an ancient flight of steps leading to the site of the town’s first Anglican church.
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