Sites

Site RH-05 was first recorded and reported on by Van Ryneveld (2013a) as Site SH-S2. The site was inferred to be
the original Deelfontein 237 farmstead and directly relates to the Site RH-04 Liebenberg and Jacobs cemetery,
dating to the 1800’s: The site is formally protected by the NHRA 1999. The site, with site features scattered across
an approximate 300x650m area, running along the tributary channel towards the Orange will be affected by
inundation levels downstream from the Rooikat Hydroelectric Power Site, with the South Access Road in direct
proximity to site features and in part running through the site. The Site RH-05 farmstead was described as (Van Ryneveld 2013): ‘… typified by the stone built 2 roomed residential remains of the inferred original farmhouse. The larger of the 2 rooms measures approximately 8x10m in size while the smaller averages roughly 4x4m. Ruined wall remains are in places still standing to roof height. Associated with the residential remains are a number of livestock enclosures, all rectangular in shape and stone built with conservation of the wall remains varying quite radically. Close to the farmhouse ruins are 2 livestock enclosures or ‘kraals’ of roughly 8x8m and 10x12m in size respectively, with adjoining calf camps, with walls still standing in places to approximately 70cm in height but elsewhere weathered down to foundation level. Just west of the access track is another livestock enclosure ruin (roughly 8x8m in size with walls standing to approximately 40-50cm high),
situated in quite close proximity to the homestead remains. These may well have been the early ‘kraals’ associated
with the origin of the settlement. Across the stream to the south of the homestead is a notably large double-lobed
rectangular stone built kraal with camps in excess of 20m in length and walls standing to 1+m in height. Walls seem
to have been maintained for a significant time. Just east of the large ‘kraal’ is the remains of a weathered small
enclosure, approximately 6x6m in size with walls standing to an average of 70cm high in places. A number of
related smaller features can reasonably be expected on site upon more detailed assessment.’