It’s no surprise that the Midlands rests on a foundation filled with history and memories, from Nottingham Road and Fort Nottingham to Karkloof, Dargle and Curry’s Post, to name a few. One of these monuments includes the Old Halliwell Inn. It is over a century old, built between 1837 and 1840, and had its beginnings as a farmhouse. This was when the Voortrekkers entered these local areas in the mid-1830s. The Boers who lived in these parts moved further north due to the British annexation of Natal in 1843, which left farmhouses available.
It was believed that Reverend William Davis owned the Old Halliwell building, but back then it was named “Rommelkop”, reportedly after the highest point on the south side of the property. There is also a natural spring that runs on the property to this day, which is believed to be part of the reason why the Voortrekkers chose this location. Reverend Davis ran the building as a posting house for coaches on the old main road to the north, which interestingly predates Curry’s Post.
Old Halliwell has had many changes of ownership over the years. Louis Stevens bought it in January 1855 from the Reverend William Davis and renamed it “Stevens Pub” or “Stevens Canteen”. You can now find the entrance doors as the bar’s counter. It was known by Hout Bosch Rand in 1872 and owned by Dobson, who was a carpenter on the ship called the HMS Birkenhead.
Mr Buchanan bought it in 1900. He was a blacksmith from Scotland and the chapel used to be his smithy (the term used for a blacksmith’s workshop). In 1928, the property was utilised as a dairy, bought by Mr Nel, who then sold it to Mr Hofman, who renamed it “Veehof”. He also eventually sold the land, which was reportedly 1500 acres, into subdivisions that were around 250 acres in size.
Dr James McCall and his wife, Sally, bought the plot with the main homestead in 1971. This was known as Halliwell, which eventually became “Old Halliwell”. During this time, several reconstructions were done to the main house and the two rooms that formed the upstairs area.
In 1988, new owners Nick and Gill Bastow converted the house into a country inn which was opened in 1991. There were also several conversions, notably the stables and outbuildings, which were made into en-suite rooms with verandas and fireplaces.
The Bones family bought it in 1999, after which it was purchased by the current owners Mike and Jane Uys in 2003 who created the Old Halliwell rest home for horses. They also offer a 400-square-metre venue to accommodate conferences and weddings, a restaurant open seven days a week and a swimming pool on the property.
Some of the parts of the home hold historical significance. For example, the entrance’s arched doorway was from the old Maritzburg hotel and the door’s iron lock has a brass escutcheon plate with the Royal Coat of Arms and the letters “WR” on it, which relates to King William IV’s reign during 1834. The staircase is from the home of the Blackhurst family who lived on Ridge Road in Umhlanga.
The Old Halliwell Inn has become an iconic monument here in the Midlands, from an 1800s farmhouse to a beautifully decorated hotel and idyllic spot for weddings and conferences. It will truly transport you to what has come before it but also recognises what it is today, giving you a taste of what the countryside has to offer.
Words by: Alicia du Plessis