Saturday, 14 March

Join Mpumalanga Heritage for a fascinating morning exploring the historic town of Sabie, once an important centre during the early mining era of the escarpment.

Meeting Points
Participants can join the outing in one of two ways:

• 07:00 – Depart from KLCBT Tourism Offices at The Crossing, Nelspruit

• 08:00 – Meet the group at the Sabie Golf Club parking area on Main Road (towards Lydenburg)
   

Highlights of the Day
On our way to Sabie we will stop at several Jock of the Bushveld Trek (1985) way markers, commemorating the famous journey through the Lowveld.
In Sabie we will visit a number of historic sites, including:

• The original steel road bridge, one of three constructed under Lord Milner in 1902 to connect Sabie and the escarpment region to the railway at Nelspruit.

• The historic railway station, where we will see a preserved rail cocopan used during construction of the Nelspruit–Graskop branch line in 1912, as well as the Glynn’s-Lydenburg Mine recreation hall, one of the oldest surviving buildings from Sabie’s mining era still in use.

• The building that once housed Sabie’s first general dealer, later home to the well-known Sabie Breweries.

• The historic Anglican Church, one of only two buildings in Mpumalanga designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

• A rare ceramic tile wall dating from the 1930s, part of a decorative style used in a small number of Union-era Post Offices across South Africa.
   

Exclusive Access
This is a conducted heritage tour, and several locations that are not usually open to the public will be specially unlocked for our group. This includes the local school where a preserved historic ox-wagon from the transport rider era is displayed.

Visitors should keep R10 per person ready for entry to the Forestry Museum and to view a private collection of historic steam machinery from Sabie’s early industrial days.

Huntington Hall Ruins
One of the most important stops of the day will be the ruins of Huntington Hall, once the manor house of H.T. Glynn, the mining entrepreneur who founded Sabie. We will also search for the Glynn family graveyard, now largely forgotten and damaged after a fire destroyed the last remains of the historic house.

Final Stops
The tour continues with a visit to a private house museum near the site of the old Sabie Drift, above the waterfalls, before concluding at the beautiful stone and steel railway bridge over the Sabie River, near the entrance to Merry Pebbles campsite.

Social Lunch by the River
The outing will conclude along the shady banks of the Sabie River, where members are welcome to relax and socialise.

Those bringing picnic baskets and chairs can enjoy lunch by the river, while others may return to the golf club for lunch and refreshments.
What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes

• A hat and sun protection

• Picnic basket and chairs if you wish to stay for lunch