A storehouse of history

Kersefontein is a national monument but is kept going like any farm. On the day I visited, I was lucky the mist hadn't lifted or Julian, the owner having served breakfast to his paying guests, would have  been off on the combine. Having nothing better to do, he showed my wife and me round the house. First the passage with the scull of what I assumed was some kind of large bush pig or other but turned out to be that of the last hippo shot in the Berg river. He showed us into the lounge with its grand piano and furniture from 1690 and the 18th century, all carefully looked after as family heirlooms. Among the many portraits is one of Esau Coetzee who served four generations of the Melcks and taught Julian to ride. The house is a veritable storehouse of history and we were lucky to see round it before the wheat dried enough for the combine.

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