Spioenkop

Description:

Spioenkop - A hilltop drenched in the blood of an epic battle.

Situated some 30 km south of Ladysmith is the site known as one of the most fearsome events of the Anglo-Boer War.

In a tranquil sense recalling the battle of Spioenkop, almost a century ago is hard to imagine that once on this quiet, sunlit hill where Boer and Brit fought one another in the bloodiest battle of the Anglo-Boer War.

From the top of the battlefield it is hard to imagine the hideousness of that night and day almost a century ago.

At the summit is a memorial comprising numerous monuments and graves, the most poignant being a long, low curved trench under which lie an estimated 600 British soldiers who were buried where they fell in the trench - a mass grave they in effect dug for themselves.

The Boers had occupied most of Natal where they ranged in preparation for an onslaught into the Natal heartland where they whipped the British on several fronts, the most humiliating British defeat being the Battle of Colenso.

Visitors can explore the battlefield and follow the war events with the aid of a self-guided trail map available from the Natal Parks Board office or from the attendant at the battlefield.

Following the ridge to the summit is a tough walk of about three hours, but there is an easier way via a paved road that winds all the way to the top. The historical weight of the Anglo-Boer War almost crushes any other claims from the past, yet it was from the crest of this hill that the Voortrekkers were believed to have had their first panoramic sighting of Natal.

The Spioenkop Dam was built in the 1960s, swallowing several kilometres of the Tugela river and some historical sites such as Trichardt's Drift, where Buller's troops had crossed prior to the fateful battle. The area falls under the aegis of the Natal Parks Board and, apart from the Spioenkop Dam, remains much the same as it was at the turn of the century.

The dam is ideal for watersports and there are numerous slipways for power boats, although there are no boats for hire. Waterskiing, canoeing and sailing are popular activities, as is angling, and fishermen are welcome to try to land carp, bass, bluegill and tilapia. Game is plentiful, and you can arrange walks or tours through the park to view the wildlife, which includes the white rhino.

Accommodation at Spieonkop

Kwaggashoek - Private Reserve - Game Ranch, Northern Drakensberg near Spieonkop.

Spionkop Lodge - An unforgetable South African Experience on the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields Route at the foot of Spieonkop itself