Signal Cannon

A unique heritage dating from the reign of the VOC are the old signal posts that played an important role in the defense system of the original Cape colony. The system of warning signals fired by cannons, appears to be the only system of it’s kind. With the expansion of the colony in the seventeenth century signal posts were placed at several high-lying places. A cannon was erected at each signal post.

When enemy ships were sighted from Leeukop, the cannon in the Castle was fired. Those who heard this signal fired their closest signal cannon and thus all the cannons were fired in a chain reaction. When this signal sounded the burghers knew they had to make haste to go and protect their colony. It was necessary to use this defense communication system, four times in the Cape colony. This first time was in 1695, when French ships were sighted and a possible attack was feared; in 1781 when an English fleet attacked the colony at Saldanha; in 1795 with the first British occupation and the last time in 1806 with the battle of Blouberg and the second occupation of the Cape.

One of these signposts was in the Brackenfell area. In 1862 Dirk Cloete Morkel, owner of Bellevue, fetched the then discarded cannon with two span of oxen. The cannon was positioned in front of the Bellevue homestead where it rested undisturbed for the next 100 years. In 1961 South Africa obtained independence from the British Empire. Danie Morkel (father of the current owner, Dirkie) decided that this momentous occasion demanded due festivity and with great care and hours of work the old cannon was restored to it’s former splendour. With the aid of homemade gunpowder the cannon once again made it’s voice heard over the Stellenbosch valleys. This beautiful part of our South African heritage, can still be seen, resting in position, in front of the Bellevue Homestead.