Gradings

The Elandsberg Reserve and associated homesteads comprise a landscape of outstanding heritage value in terms its rarity and representivity.

The sense of remoteness of two 19th century homesteads, set within a provincial nature reserve and against a wilderness mountain backdrop, represents an unusual example of the remote existence of the early colonial farms of the Swartland. This is in strong contrast to the early colonial farms in the fertile valleys of the Cape Winelands where the pattern of agricultural settlement was much more intensive.

The Bosplaas and Bartholomeus Klip farm houses are significant examples of their types and in the instance of Bartholomeus Klip the buildings also contain early fabric.

The historic significance includes being the site of a high profile murder (that of Frans Joosten by his wife and slaves in 1714) from the early colonial period associated with slavery. The associational significance with a highly significant person in South African history (Lord de Villiers – President of the National Convention and first Chief Justice of South Africa) is noteworthy.

The natural landscape has a high aesthetic value in terms of its horizontality set against the rugged and dramatic sandstone peaks and slopes of the Elandskloof Mountains.

Elandsberg Nature Reserve has outstanding biodiversity value. The property has significant fragments of Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Swartland Shale Renosterveld and Hawequas Sandstone Fynbos. It is the core conservation area for two localised and critically endangered vegetation types in the South Western Cape, i.e. Swartland Alluvium Fynbos and Swartland Shale Renosterveld.

In 1988, the reserve was proclaimed a Natural Heritage Site in recognition of it being the largest single remnant of West Coast Renosterveld as well as having the largest single population of the endangered geometric tortoise Psammobates geometricus.

In 2008, Elandsberg Nature Reserve was declared a nature reserve in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003.

These vegetation types have endemic, endangered and threatened plant species. Over 40 red data plant and animal species have been identified on the Reserve. The local endemism on the reserve is remarkable. Seven plant species occur only on the
reserve.

Given the length of occupation of the homesteads it is highly likely that there are archaeological remains reflecting the period of occupation.