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Bathurst has preserved its historic character better than most little villages in South Africa, and has many of the original structures of generic Georgian type preserved. The Two original churches built by the 1820 settlers still stand, St John’s Anglican Church is the oldest unaltered Anglican Church in South Africa.
BATHURST
This village was founded in 1820 and was named by the Acting Governor of the Cape, Sir Rufane Donkin, after the Secretary to the Colonies, Lord Bathurst. Donkin had intended that Bathurst be the administrative centre for the area but it lost this status to Grahamstown which is 49 kms away.
Bathurst has preserved its historic character better than most little villages in South Africa, and has many of the original structures of generic Georgian type preserved. The Two original churches built by the 1820 settlers still stand, St John’s Anglican Church is the oldest unaltered Anglican Church in South Africa. In the graveyard surrounding the church is a memorial to the British and Colonial forces who died in the Xhosa wars of Resistance.
Bathurst is 12 kms from Port Alfred and is on the doorstep of several game reserves in the area, and is the ideal base for a Beach and Bush experience. The Bathurst Agricultural Museum depicts the Agricultural history of the area. The village is surrounded by the top pineapple producing area in the country.
Source: Courtesy Eastern Cape Tourism Board - www.ectb.co.za
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