Bedford, South Africa

Last updated
Bedford
Nyarha
Bedford Presbiteriaanse kerk.jpg
Presbyterian Church in Bedford
South Africa Eastern Cape location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Bedford
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Bedford
Coordinates: 32°41′S26°05′E / 32.683°S 26.083°E / -32.683; 26.083
Country South Africa
Province Eastern Cape
District Amathole
Municipality Raymond Mhlaba
Established1854 [1]
Area
[2]
  Total14.6 km2 (5.6 sq mi)
Elevation
740 m (2,430 ft)
Population
 (2011) [2]
  Total8,770
  Density600/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[2]
   Black African 68.9%
   Coloured 27.1%
   Indian/Asian 0.1%
   White 3.2%
  Other0.7%
First languages (2011)
[2]
   Xhosa 63.5%
   Afrikaans 29.7%
   English 4.5%
  Other2.2%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
5780
PO box
5780
Area code 046

Bedford or Nyarha is a town in the centre of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It was established in the mid-19th century when Sir Andries Stockenstroom sold portions of land from his farm Maastroom to raise funds for the restoration of his library, which had been burnt by British soldiers mistrustful of his attempts to broker peace in one of the Cape Frontier Wars. The farm is still there and open for visitors.

It is located on the southern edge of the Winterberg mountain range, in the Smaldeel (a narrow strip of grassland running laterally from Fort Beaufort to Somerset East, renowned for its sweet grass). The town suffered a major decline in fortunes in the latter half of the 20th century before reviving itself around the turn of the millennium. It is regarded today as an artist's haven and retirement village.

The lack of industry in the town, while a boon to those hoping to escape the rat race, means that the town has a large unemployment rate. The woes of the poor are exacerbated by a high HIV-AIDS infection rate.

The Bedford Provincial Hospital is situated in Maitland Street, three blocks northwest of the town's centre.

Most tourists visit Bedford to experience true South African farm living. It is also known for the garden festival where people who live in the town and surrounding farms get to show case their gardens and other creative art work.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Town</span> Legislative capital of South Africa

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the country's second-largest city, after Johannesburg, and the largest in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Cape</span> Province in South Africa

The Eastern Cape is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. Due to its climate and nineteenth century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also known for being home to many anti-apartheid activists, the most famous being Nelson Mandela hailing from the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paarl</span> Town in Western Cape, South Africa

Paarl is a town with 285,574 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is known for its scenic environment and viticulture and fruit-growing heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide, Eastern Cape</span> Place in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Adelaide is a rural town and farming area in the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa. Adelaide is situated at the foothills of the Great Winterberg mountain range, 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of Bedford and 37 kilometres (23 mi) west of Fort Beaufort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedfordview</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Bedfordview is an affluent suburb in western Ekurhuleni, sharing an administrative boundary with the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa. Bedfordview has been part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000. The Eastgate Shopping Centre, one of the biggest in Africa when first built, is also located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinelands, Cape Town</span> Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Pinelands is an affluent garden city suburb located on the edge of the southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa, neighbouring the suburb of Thornton, and is known for its large thatched houses and green spaces. The suburb is primarily residential and is often praised for its peacefulness and abundance of trees. Pinelands is one of the few areas in Cape Town in which sale of alcohol to the public is prohibited, but some clubs have private liquor licenses. It is a popular place for senior citizens to retire to. While there are several retirement homes in the suburb, younger people are increasingly moving in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George, South Africa</span> City in Western Cape, South Africa

George is the second largest city in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre, as well as the administrative and commercial hub and the seat of the Garden Route District Municipality. It is named after the British Monarch George III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergvliet</span> Southern suburb of Cape Town, South Africa

Bergvliet is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. Bergvliet, which means "Mountain Streamlet" in Afrikaans, is bordered by Retreat, Meadowridge, Tokai, and Heathfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerset West</span> Town in the Western Cape, South Africa

Somerset West is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality Eastern Suburbs zone . The vehicle registration code for Somerset West is CFM and the post code is 7130 for street addresses, and 7129 for post office boxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vredehoek</span> Suburb of Cape Town, in Western Cape, South Africa

Vredehoek is a residential suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, located at the foot of Table Mountain and Devil's Peak. It is sandwiched between the two neighbouring suburbs of Oranjezicht and Devil's Peak Estate, the latter of which is often considered a sub-suburb of Vredehoek as they both fall under the neighbourhood watch community called DPV - Devil's Peak & Vredehoek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concor</span> South African construction company

Concor Holdings (Proprietary) Limited. is a South African construction and mining services company. It is active throughout Southern Africa, involved in civil engineering, buildings, roads and mining projects. Concor returned as an independent brand in late 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuynhuys</span> Office of the president of South Africa

De Tuynhuys is the office of the president of South Africa, located in Cape Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchells Plain</span> Suburb of Cape Town, in Western Cape, South Africa

Mitchells Plain is a large census designated sub-place located within the City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa and situated about 28 km (17 mi) from the Cape Town city centre. It is one of South Africa's largest residential areas and contains multiple smaller suburbs. It is located on the Cape Flats on the False Bay coast between Muizenberg and Khayelitsha. Conceived of as a "model suburb" by the apartheid government, it was built during the 1970s to provide housing for Coloured victims of forced removal due to the implementation of the Group Areas Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardens, Cape Town</span> Inner-city suburb of Cape Town in Western Cape, South Africa

Gardens is an affluent inner-city suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre located in the higher elevations of the "City Bowl" and directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. It is home to several national museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum. The University of Cape Town also houses its Fine Arts department in the suburb, at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Company's Garden, South Africa's oldest garden, a public park and heritage site is a focal point of the suburb. The area is also home to the oldest synagogue in Southern Africa, the Old Shul and its successor, the Gardens Shul, "The Mother Synagogue of South Africa."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenmarket Square</span> Historical square in old Cape Town, South Africa

Greenmarket Square is a historical square in the centre of old Cape Town, South Africa. The square was built in 1696, when a burgher watch house was erected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeuwenhof</span> Official residence of the Premier of the Western Cape in South Africa

Leeuwenhof is an estate in the Gardens area of Cape Town, South Africa. It is the official residence of the Premier of the Western Cape. Leeuwenhof was originally a farmhouse dating to the time of the Dutch East India Company's rule of Cape Town. It includes a Slave Quarters which has been renovated and used to house an exhibition about slavery in Cape Town. It was declared a national heritage site on 15 December 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Company's Garden</span> Park and heritage site in Cape Town, South Africa

The Company's Garden is the oldest garden in South Africa, a park and heritage site located in central Cape Town. The garden was originally created in the 1650s by the region's first European settlers and provided fertile ground to grow fresh produce to replenish ships rounding the Cape. It is watered from the Molteno Dam, which uses water from the springs on the lower slopes of Table Mountain.

Friemersheim is a settlement in Garden Route District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Western Cape</span>

The economy of the Western Cape in South Africa is dominated by the city of Cape Town, which accounted for 72% of the Western Cape's economic activity in 2016. The single largest contributor to the region's economy is the financial and business services sector, followed by manufacturing. Close to 30% of the gross regional product comes from foreign trade with agricultural products and wine dominating exports. High-tech industries, international call centres, fashion design, advertising and TV production are niche industries rapidly gaining in importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel</span> Luxury hotel at the centre of Cape Town in a garden estate

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is a luxury hotel situated in the Gardens neighbourhood in inner-city Cape Town in a garden estate overlooked by Table Mountain.

References

  1. Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sum of the Main Places Bedford, Nonzwakazi and Nyara from Census 2011.