Of markets, timber sheds, monuments and perfect pizza!
Following on from last week’s adventure, we took advantage of the perfect weather and continued on our treasure hunt…
The Market off Main is a great place to pop into on a Saturday morning… There are admittedly less stalls than at Harkerville Saturday Market, but there’s some good coffee and a number of other stalls offering food and other beverages.
Entrance to the Market off Main.
We were there just after our breakfast at Harkerville, so we didn’t explore any culinary offerings. The stalls are semi-permanent, and there is an air of quality about all the stands. It appears that there are often screenings of sporting events like rugby. Ask around – it looks like a good spot to spend a sporting afternoon…
Quality stalls within Market off Main.
Not too far away from the Market on Main is The Old Timber Shed. Originally built in 1786 by Johann Jacob Jerling for the Dutch East India Company, this is a fascinating piece of history of Plett. It is an unassuming yet significant historical landmark, a rustic old structure which tells the story of Plettenberg Bay’s early days as a timber trading post and one of the few remaining relics of that time.
Interior of The Timber Shed.
Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries charted Plettenberg Bay, and promptly named it Bahia Formosa (or the Bay Beautiful). This was substantially before Van Riebeeck landed in the Cape, on 6th April 1652. In 1778, the Dutch East India Company established a timber station in Plettenberg Bay. It was the perfect stopover on the sea route between Europe and the East Indies. Surrounded by beautiful forests, it was a rich source of wood.
The Exterior of The Timber Shed.
In 1630, the merchant ship, São Gonçales was returning to Portugal after eight months of trading with India. Returning home via the Cape of Storms, both captains had died and some of the crew had picked up tropical diseases. Beyond being leaderless, the crew had to deal with the ship constantly leaking. When the saltwater spread between the imported pepper corns, it caused them all to spoil. The ship was no longer sea-worthy and foundered in a bay. Some of the crew left the ship to form a base camp on land, making the Piesang Valley their home for about 8 months. Others remained, trying to repair the ship to make her seaworthy again. Seven weeks later, a storm came up and violently threw what remained of the ship against the Robberg slopes. All 130 men onboard drowned, and the 100 who were left on land were left stranded. Knowing they would be marooned for a long time, they built a church. They also grew food in gardens, hunted game, fished and traded with the Khoisan.
Aside: In the 1980’s, when the Jerling family (whose ancestors settled in Plettenberg Bay in the 18th century) began clearing the area of their property (adjacent to Robberg) they stumbled across relics from the wreck – including blue-and-white pottery. This discovery would confirm the location of where the stranded sailors had made their home.
There was much natural forest around the bay, and so timber was in ample supply. The survivors managed to build two smaller vessels. They carved a stone marker (padrão) with an inscription in Portuguese, ‘Here was lost the ship São Gonçales in the year 1630’ – and set sail back home. This was the first ‘Plett beacon’. They would, however, never see home again. Their trip ended in tragedy, and the sailors were eventually picked up by other ships of the Portuguese fleet who brought them back to Portugal. One of THOSE ships then sank just as it entered the Lisbon harbour (talk about bad luck!), with the loss of everyone on board – including many of the survivors of the São Gonçalo. In 1779, the Governor of the Cape, Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, renamed the town Plettenberg Bay.
View from one of the windows out towards the road.
The Timber Shed was used as a storage facility for timber felled in the nearby forests. The sturdy timber was harvested for shipbuilding and exported. The Shed played a crucial role in international trade, connecting Plettenberg Bay with global markets.
The Shed has weathered over two centuries of salty sea breezes and changing seasons. It was quite special being in such a structure, knowing it has stood there for centuries, watching as the town transformed from a quiet outpost to a popular holiday destination. If you’re a photography enthusiast, The Old Timber Shed, with its rustic appeal and natural surroundings, makes for some wonderful shots!
The Van Plettenberg Monument / Beacon / Possessional Stone.
During 1778, Governor Van Plettenberg visited many outposts in what was then The Colony. On 5th November, he visited Plett, staying overnight in the Piesang Valley. Early the next day, van Plettenberg was out on his horse to inspect the bay, noting ‘the outstanding point’ (Robberg ) which enclosed it. A wagon was used to carry a heavy slate “Possessional Stone” to a high stoney hill in the middle of the bay where it was planted and has remained for over 250 years. From then on, the area was known as Plettenberg’s Bay. Later, the original stone was relocated to the Cultural History Museum in Cape Town and a copy stands in its place.
The Coat of Arms of the United Provinces (the Lion of Flanders) is on one side of the beacon.
On the other side is the monogram of the Dutch East India Company and the governor’s own coat of arms, together with an inscription that translates “This stone is erected by Joachim, Baron van Plettenberg, of the council of the Dutch East Indies and Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and adjoining territories. Year 1778.”
The stone was clearly prepared before van Plettenberg and his party left on this journey. It was likely transported in one of the wagons or delivered by sea. It could not have been made overnight, particularly as there are no slate deposits of that sort in the district!
Street view of the area containing the stone – with a viewing platform to the left.
The implications of this? That the bay, going forward, would belong to the Dutch East India Company and no other power. Interesting that, in those days, simply planting a stone with an inscription enabled you to lay claim to land that you had never seen before. Clearly no shortage of hubris…
View of the bay from the Viewing Deck adjacent to Van Plettenberg Monument.
After a morning spent visiting all these fascinating spots, may I suggest one perfect cocktail (or whatever tickles your fancy) and a spectacular pizza at The Lookout Deck…
The perfect way to end a lovely morning!
Jacqui Ikin & The Cross Country Team
INFO BOX:
Market off Main
7 Sewell St, Plettenberg Bay.
Van Plettenberg Monument / Beacon / Possessional Stone
Corner of Hopwood and Meeding Streets, Plettenberg Bay.
The Old Timber Shed
14 Meeding St, Plettenberg Bay.
The Lookout / Deck
Hill St, Lookout Beach, Plettenberg Bay.
Tel: 044-533-1379.
https://lookout.co.za/
