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The charming little town of Nieu-Bethesda is set in a fertile valley of the Sneeuberg mountains beneath Compassberg (2502m). It is 56km from Graaff-Reinet.
Rev. Charles Murray, the minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Graaff-Reinet, established the village of Nieu-Bethesda. Visitors to this area had been rare and through it's isolation, the village has retained a rare historical and architectural integrity. The town is popular as a retreat for artists and it is a place that no visitor should miss. There are three alternative farm roads leading to the town, they are not recommended after heavy rains and snowfalls.
Today this little artist town is a quite place, with dusty untarred roads and a handful of general shops. No franchises, no hotels, no modernization. However by the turn of the 20th century Nieu-Bethesta was self-contained and even boast with a school. However today there are only empty homes reminiscent of this era.
Tours on offer to Nieu-Bethesta can be booked from Karoopark Guest House. Included in the day tour is an outing to the Owl House, seeing fossils, sheep shearing and Khoi San rock paintings. If you book a tour, lunch would be provided.
If you want to travel there on your own, ask for directions at reception. There are coffee shops in town that serve lunch.
Nieu-Bethesta is home to the Owl House where Helen Martins lived. She was regarded as an eccentric old woman and lived as a recluse, devoting her life to making hundreds of figures and statues from cement and glass. These are on display behind the Owl House in the area known as the Camel Yard. Her artistic hand had touched every space of her house. The walls, ceilings and even the doors were decorated by finely ground glass of various colours. Koos Malgas was her assistant and he made all the cement statues to be found in the Camel Yard. He passed away recently and with it came the end of an era in Nieu-Bethesta.
The Owl House was the name given to the premises by the local inhabitants after Martins placed owls on the roof and on the veranda to guard the house. She also fortified the area by putting up wire fencing and on top of structure owls also guarded each corner of the property.
Her work provided an escape from her circumstances. She had lost her third husband, and with no more than cement, glass and paint she created a world that people today travel from far to see.
Martins was an enigmatic person and her sculptures is perceived to represent and personify her dreams. She was an artist who committed suicide when her sight started failing. However the story goes that she planned to paint the cement camels and their riders and had already brought the paint, when she took her own life by drinking causanic soda. The paint is still apparently locked in the storeroom today.
Numerous symbolic meanings are attached to her work Anne Emslie explained in her book that one can understand the Owl House "as a personal Diary" of Martins. It portrayed her travels to the east and all the dreams she had. But the truth is that Martins lived in a remote and conservative environment, where neither her work nor her lifestyle was understood. They could not phantom why anyone would devote their life to making hundreds of figures and statues from cement and glass.
Athol Fugard's book, The Road to Mecca is based on the life story of Helen Martins. This exposure brought some fame to the little town and more and more visitors came to see what the hype was about.
Other things of interest in and around Nieu-Bethesta
!Xoe site-specific art exhibitions are to be found in and around town, watch out for roadside markers alongside the road. !Xoe denotes "homeland" in the language of the nomadic San hunter-gatherer people that once inhibited the Karoo. These artworks deal with cultural, historical and social matters particular to South Africa. A dozen South African artists exhibited their artwork in the Nieu-Bethesta region. Some artworks are in town; others are situated in riverbeds and on mountaintops. This project aims to engage the viewer in the activity of exploration and discovery of the environment. For more information contact Mark Wilby.
Nieu-Bethesda also boasts with the "2 Goats Deli" where local ale is being brewed as well as various cheeses are made. It's easy to find from the Owl House, just follow the road over the river and turn left.
There are a handful places that serve lunch, so take your time and explore the dusty streets, visit a few artists' studios and if there's space in the car, buy an owl.
Rev. Charles Murray, the minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Graaff-Reinet, established the village of Nieu-Bethesda. Visitors to this area had been rare and through it's isolation, the village has retained a rare historical and architectural integrity. The town is popular as a retreat for artists and it is a place that no visitor should miss. There are three alternative farm roads leading to the town, they are not recommended after heavy rains and snowfalls.
Today this little artist town is a quite place, with dusty untarred roads and a handful of general shops. No franchises, no hotels, no modernization. However by the turn of the 20th century Nieu-Bethesta was self-contained and even boast with a school. However today there are only empty homes reminiscent of this era.
Tours on offer to Nieu-Bethesta can be booked from Karoopark Guest House. Included in the day tour is an outing to the Owl House, seeing fossils, sheep shearing and Khoi San rock paintings. If you book a tour, lunch would be provided.
If you want to travel there on your own, ask for directions at reception. There are coffee shops in town that serve lunch.
Nieu-Bethesta is home to the Owl House where Helen Martins lived. She was regarded as an eccentric old woman and lived as a recluse, devoting her life to making hundreds of figures and statues from cement and glass. These are on display behind the Owl House in the area known as the Camel Yard. Her artistic hand had touched every space of her house. The walls, ceilings and even the doors were decorated by finely ground glass of various colours. Koos Malgas was her assistant and he made all the cement statues to be found in the Camel Yard. He passed away recently and with it came the end of an era in Nieu-Bethesta.
The Owl House was the name given to the premises by the local inhabitants after Martins placed owls on the roof and on the veranda to guard the house. She also fortified the area by putting up wire fencing and on top of structure owls also guarded each corner of the property.
Her work provided an escape from her circumstances. She had lost her third husband, and with no more than cement, glass and paint she created a world that people today travel from far to see.
Martins was an enigmatic person and her sculptures is perceived to represent and personify her dreams. She was an artist who committed suicide when her sight started failing. However the story goes that she planned to paint the cement camels and their riders and had already brought the paint, when she took her own life by drinking causanic soda. The paint is still apparently locked in the storeroom today.
Numerous symbolic meanings are attached to her work Anne Emslie explained in her book that one can understand the Owl House "as a personal Diary" of Martins. It portrayed her travels to the east and all the dreams she had. But the truth is that Martins lived in a remote and conservative environment, where neither her work nor her lifestyle was understood. They could not phantom why anyone would devote their life to making hundreds of figures and statues from cement and glass.
Athol Fugard's book, The Road to Mecca is based on the life story of Helen Martins. This exposure brought some fame to the little town and more and more visitors came to see what the hype was about.
Other things of interest in and around Nieu-Bethesta
!Xoe site-specific art exhibitions are to be found in and around town, watch out for roadside markers alongside the road. !Xoe denotes "homeland" in the language of the nomadic San hunter-gatherer people that once inhibited the Karoo. These artworks deal with cultural, historical and social matters particular to South Africa. A dozen South African artists exhibited their artwork in the Nieu-Bethesta region. Some artworks are in town; others are situated in riverbeds and on mountaintops. This project aims to engage the viewer in the activity of exploration and discovery of the environment. For more information contact Mark Wilby.
Nieu-Bethesda also boasts with the "2 Goats Deli" where local ale is being brewed as well as various cheeses are made. It's easy to find from the Owl House, just follow the road over the river and turn left.
There are a handful places that serve lunch, so take your time and explore the dusty streets, visit a few artists' studios and if there's space in the car, buy an owl.
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