Take a historical tour of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town

Posted on 15 April 2013

In 1652, a young man by the name of Jan van Riebeeck was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to establish a refreshment station at The Cape of Good Hope for merchant ships travelling from Europe to the East Indies. Ships that had been at sea for months would be able to get fresh water and food, offload the sick, and carry out any repairs that were needed. This refreshment station was the foundation of the V&A Waterfront as we know it today and also the beginning of the city of Cape Town.

When you are next at the V&A Waterfront take some time to notice the many historical landmarks. There are 22 in total and many of them you have probably passed by. Some of these include:

  • Chavonne’s Battery – established in the 1800s.
  • Dock House – built in 1870 and previously the Harbour Master’s residence.
  • Houses at Portswood Ridge – built in 1870.
  • Ulundi Parking Garage – built in1889 and previously the home of Chief Resident Engineer.
  • Time Ball Tower – built in 1894 and was the repeater station for harbour signals.
  • NSRI boathouse – where the first port lifeboat was housed in 1898
  • Harbour café – originally a harbour tea-room from 1902.
  • UCT’s Graduate School of Business – housed in Breakwater Prison built in 1902.
  • Old Port Captain’s Building – from 1904.
  • Union Castle Building – built in 1919 for Union Castle Mail Steamship Company.
  • The V&A Hotel – formerly a warehouse from the 1930’s
  • A plaque commemorating the spot where Prince Alfred tipped the first truck of stone for the breakwater in 1860 – near the ampitheatre.

If you are really interested in the historical side of things (perhaps while the rest of the family go shopping or the kids go searching for treasure in the Scratch Patch), you can take yourself on a Self-guided Historical Walking Tour. Collect a free map from the Information Centre and know that you are following in the footsteps of sailors and explorers as you make your way around the V&A Waterfront. A series of numbered boards placed at key points of interest will bring history to life through various interesting facts, anecdotes and visuals.

But if you really want history brought to life, take a Guided Historical Walking Tour with a tour guide who will accompany you on a journey back in time with fascinating facts and amusing stories on this trading port’s vibrant history. Tours depart daily (dependant on demand) from the Chavonnes Battery Museum (next to the Clock Tower) at 11h00. If you are lucky your guide may even dress in attire from that era!

I suggest getting there an hour or two earlier and taking a wander around the museum itself. The Chavonnes Battery guarded Cape Town’s front door for almost 150 years and you can see the different types of canons, uniforms and touch walls still standing after three centuries, that were built from Table Mountain rock and granite and cemented with a mixture made by burning sea-shells on Robben Island. The Chavonnes Battery Museum is open from 09h00 to 16h00.

Whichever you choose to do, you will see the V&A Waterfront in a whole new light after taking in the history. There’s nothing like enjoying a pint at Ferrymans Tavern or Mitchell’s Brewery at the end of your day knowing that they are housed in buildings that were originally locomotive sheds.

Ps. If you fancy a light meal before or after your tour, I can recommend Vovo Telo, near the Wheel of Excellence. Their croissants are delicious and filling (the Croissant Sandwich with gypsy ham and Boerenkaas certainly provided me with fortitude for my tour) and they bake everything fresh on the day. It’s a quaint little place too! Tel 021-418-3750.

Self-guided historical walking tour of the V&A Waterfront

Start: Information Centre (next to Ferrymans Tavern)
Cost: Free
Contact: 021-408-7600

Guided historical walking tour of the V&A Waterfront

Start: The Chavonnes Battery Museum (next to the Clocktower)
Cost: Adults R100, kids R20, under 10 years free
Contact: 021-416 – 6230

The Chavonnes Battery Museum

Opening hours: 09h00 to 16h00
Cost: Adults R25, pensioners R20, kids R10, under 5 years free.
Contact: Tel 021-416-6230






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