Perched on top of a hill outside the Free State town of Springfontein you can explore this combination stone and iron blockhouse which has been restored and is maintained by farmers in the area.
The next time you are travelling along the N2 as it cuts through the rugged Karoo landscape; you may notice curious stone structures standing defiantly against time. These are the remains of British blockhouses, built during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) as part of a strategy to protect supply lines for the British soldiers.
Blockhouses are essentially little forts housing a handful of soldiers. They are constructed in such a way that they are easy to defend with an entrance high off the ground, needing a ladder to reach it, and windows only wide enough to point a rifle through.
They were strategically positioned along railway lines, roads, and river crossings, as an answer to the Boer commando’s successful guerrilla campaign which disrupted supply routes.
Take time to appreciate what is left of the Karoo’s blockhouses, they are unique. The British army mostly used mass-produced corrugated iron blockhouses which were shipped in kit form and were quick and easy to erect. However, if the Karoo has one thing in abundance, it is stone and the British engineers made the most of it, building their forts with local materials.
One of the most notable examples along the N2 can be found near Heidelberg, a town rich in Anglo-Boer War history. This well-preserved blockhouse stands tall amidst the rolling Karoo hills. Further along the highway, near Riversdale and Mossel Bay, other crumbling yet evocative blockhouses remain, their weathered stones a haunting reminder of a war that reshaped our country’s future.
For the curious traveller or the history enthusiast, taking a detour to explore these silent sentinels of the Karoo is well worth it. Some have been restored while others bare witness to the passage of time.
If you bump into a local farmer, they will usually be able to direct you to the closest blockhouse, and chances are they will join you and share their knowledge of the local history.