Eikehof Farm, Worcester, Cape Winelands

Set at the foot of the Olifantsberg mountains and named after the magnificent oaks that welcome you, the 200-year-old Eikehof farm near Worcester is a lovingly preserved National Monument steeped in history. The beautifully restored Cape Dutch farmstead is surrounded by four cottages, each one offering privacy and making this an idyllic hideaway for multigenerational families as well as a wonderfully private venue for weddings.

Surrounded by towering and craggy peaks – often dusted with snow in winter – the original farm werf is surrounded by low walls of warm stone and the shuttered windows with their typically deep sills and thick walls keep the homestead blissfully cool in summer and cosy in winter. Known for its mature trees, autumn and spring at Eikehof are a celebration of the seasons, with fires roaring in the hearth, blossom bursting forth on fruit trees and life slowing to the pace that nature intended. Lovingly restored Oregon and yellowwood floors, elegant chandeliers and solid stinkwood doors grace the original H-Shaped homestead once visited by none other than Lady Ann Barnard in its early days.

Now Eikehof and its cottages welcomes visitors who love to escape from the city to experience an authentic working farm on 128ha with almonds, pecan nuts, plum, nectarine and peach trees, plus citrus, olive groves and a boutique Pinotage vineyard. Its sensitive renovation has brought a contemporary lifestyle to the farm with a pool, two wood-fired hot tubs and a large boma area for outdoor braais and entertaining under the stars. Cocooning on the farm is easy: guests love harvesting from the veggie garden each day and kids enjoy collecting fresh eggs from the free-range chickens, so it’s tempting to stay put and eat delicious meals and enjoy excellent wines from the region. Today, the 200 Frantoio and Mission olive trees planted in recent years produce at least 80 litres of fragrant chartreuse-coloured olive oil, always gifted to arriving guests. There are walks, hikes and bike trails for the energetic, and some of the best wineries on Route 62 – the longest wine route in the world – are right on your doorstep.

Staff accommodation is plentiful and ample outbuildings, including a studio and barn, offer multiple options for buyers looking to live or develop a business in the country. There is also the potential to build additional dwellings with mixed residential and agricultural zoning in place. With over 1 000 trees planted in the past three years and plentiful water supply with a storage dam of 50 000 litres and 15 000-litre borehole capacity, plus exterior solar lighting, updated security and an underground water system to irrigate the newly landscaped garden, historic Eikehof now has substantial infrastructure in place.

The garden was a collaborative project with landscaper Tone Alexander and owner Jenny van der Watt. Today it is maturing into a beauty. “Whenever we arrive at Eikehof, I soak up the abundance around me. Everywhere you look, nature is either leaping with joy or gently resting. In the summer months, the scent of orange blossom fills the air, and the branches of our lemon trees bend under the weight of their generous fruit. In the winter months, we step into hiking boots and walk up through the blue gum forest to the dam, which is the source of our natural water,” says Jenny.

Eikehof dates back to the 1790s and was originally purchased from Perfect Hideaways in 2019. Its ambitious renovation has laid the foundations for a new investor to lovingly nurture the farm for the next generation.  

Specs:

• Erf size: 128 ha
• Main House (350m²): 3 bedrooms en suite, 2 living rooms
• Three self-catering cottages:
  • Oude School Cottage (120m²): 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen
  • De Kippe Cottage (90 m²): 1 bedroom en suite, kitchenette
  • Uitzicht Cottage (55m²): 1 bedroom en suite, kitchen
• Additional cottage (55m²): 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
• Manager’s cottage (120m²): 1 bedroom, lounge, dining area, kitchen, study
• 2 worker’s cottages: 65m²: 2 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen /35m²: 1 bedroom, toilet
• Studio/workshop (55m²)
• Pool
• 2 wood-fired hot tubs
• Large braai and entertainment area
• Fruit, nut, olive, citrus trees plus a small vineyard
• Garaging for 3 cars
• Outdoor lights – 250m
• Garden lights – electric, solar
• Alarm system – cameras, beams
• Approximately 1 000 trees planted in the last 3 years
• Irrigation – all trees, vineyard, olives, citrus etc. are on drip irrigation and micro sprinkler
• Equipment storerooms, woodshed, covered barn
• Borehole: 15 000 litre capacity
• Storage dam: 50 000 litre capacity
• Zoning: 10 ha – Residential 5 / 118 ha – Agricultural 1

Please see further details in the property brochure here: Online Brochure

For more information on the Cape Winelands, see here

For more information on Perfect Hideaways Invest, please see here

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