  Ladismith, Little Karoo: The little town of
Ladismith, not to be confused with the Natalian version of Ladysmith, lies in the shadow
of the Towerkop Mountain peak on Route 62, 300 km from Cape Town in the Karoo. The pretty
town of Ladismith is unique in a number of senses, not least of which is its unique
‘Ladismith’ style of architecture that has evolved from the hotchpotch mixture
of several styles including Victorian, Neo-gothic, Edwardian, Cape Dutch Revival, Regency
and Rural (that’s Karoo rural!).
Ladismith is essentially a prosperous farming community producing fruit (grapes, a third
of South Africa’s apricots, and plums), milk, wine, flowers and mutton. The town has
two cheese factories - Parmalat and Ladismith Cheese - and the Ladismith Wine Cellar is
open for cellar tours and wine tasting during the week.
Ladismith takes her name from a woman with great fortitude. Young Juana Maria de los
Dolores de Leon became the 14-year old bride of Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith in the
early 1800s - thereafter known simply as ‘Mrs Henry Smith’ or Lady Smith. A
childless couple, their devotion to one another is legendary. Juana often set up camp
close to battle scenes in a bid to remain close to her husband – they so hated being
apart. Two other legends dominate the history of the town. The peak of the ‘magic
mountain’ or Towerkop, which looms over the town, is said to have been struck by a
witch in anger because it blocked her way over the mountain. The result was a deep split
at the top of the mountain, producing two perfect halves.
Towerkop is just one of the nearby peaks that make this area a nature lover and
hiker’s delight. You can grace the split peak in a day, if you’re fit, or you
can attempt the Elandsberg hiking trail, a 12 km route to Stanley’s light, which
brings us to the final delightful myth of Ladismith.
Stanley de Wit took upon himself in 1963 to tackle the Elandsberg Mountains with 200
metres of plastic pipe, a spray nozzle, bicycle dynamo, a 6-volt bicycle light and the
tools to help him, after his climb of three-and-a-half hours, to set up his light in the
path of a mountain stream, the force of which turns the dynamo and keeps the light burning
both day and night. Local farmers will easily know when water is scarce. |
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