History of Sedgefield

Province: Western Cape
Garden route
Coordinates:34°01′17″S 22°48′12″E
Area:7.85 km2
Municipality: Knysna

Why Sedgefield?

Sedgefield was established on the farm Ruigtevlei which was granted by Lord Charles Somerset to the widow Meeding. When she died in 1878 the farm was divided up and plots were bought by individual farmers, but it was eventually bought by the famous politician, farmer, and industrialist Henry Barrington who named the area Sedgefield in honour of the town in England where his father was born. The town grew when the railway from George to Knysnawas completed in 1928.

Sedgefield or Ruigtevlei

Kate Maurice (née Barrington) inherited the farm Sedgefield from her brother when he died in 1901. She sold it in 1911 to Salmon Terblans who later sold part of it under the name Middelplaas but this farm was reincorporated in 1926 and the possibility of proclaiming a town was investigated. The name Sedgefield was among several proposed names. The fact that the name translated well to the Afrikaans Ruigtevlei and also that it was descriptive of the town’s environment was the decider. Families were attracted to the little town which grew and became the”new winter resort” as it was advertised in the local paper. The railway connection in 1928 added to its growth. The town only got a postal service in 1940 and the road was completed only in 1947.

Water issues and desalination

Fresh water in Sedgefield is supplied from the nearby Karatara River. A municipal water extraction plant is run by Sedgefield Municipality. Unusually dry summers called for a desalination plant which was erected in 2009 to make the town totally self-sufficient in terms of water supply.

The postal code in Sedgefield is 6573

WEATHER IN SEDGEFIELD TODAY

see all listings in Sedgefield

Things to see and do in Sedgefield

• Famous Wild Oats Farmers Market (Saturdays) and Scarab Village (daily).082 376 5020
• Spectacular beaches include Swartvlei, The Lagoon Mouth, Myoli, Cola, and Platbank.
• Water sports – yachting, windsurfing, board sailing, canoeing, water skiing, and wakeboarding.
• Hiking trails. Bird watching. Horse-riding.
• Lagoon, rock, and surf fishing and bass fishing.
• Follow the Mosaic Route. Mosaics around town are part of a community upliftment project. The mosaic garden is a marine-themed Mosaic Park called “The Octopus Garden under the Sea”
• The River Mouth is a popular and safe place to swim.
• Chumani Township Tour runs from 10 am to 12 pm or 2 pm to 4 pm   Call Vusi at 0726808437
• Paragliding at Cloud 9  083 455 9480
• –Barrington Pass

The postcode for Sedgefield is 6573