08/06/2026
Long before Springfontein became a w**e estate, its story was already being written.
In May 1798, the Scottish travel writer and painter Lady Anne Barnard is believed to have passed through these lands on her journey from present-day Hermanus to Stanford, following the southern shores of the lagoon and the Klein River.
Springfontein itself was officially established on 1 June 1816, when the land was granted to Sir Johannes Andries Truter, then President of the Cape Supreme Court. The old farmhouse that still stands today (now home to our Wortelgat restaurant), as well as the old barn (now home to our ULUMBAZA W**e Bar(n)) is believed to be around 200 years old, with its carefully exposed stone walls quietly telling the story of generations past.
The estate takes its name from the bubbling spring ("spring" + "fontein") that rises in the north-eastern corner of the farm. While reliable water was abundant, farming the limestone-rich soils proved far more challenging. For decades, only small-scale livestock farming and modest onion and potato cultivation were possible.
Then, in 1983, all agricultural activity came to a halt.
What followed is the chapter that shaped the Springfontein we know today. Curious to find out more, visit: www.springfontein.co.za/about-us/
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