LOCATION: La Cotte estate, Franschhoek
LEADER: Antonia Malan
La Cotte will be an opportunity for Vernacs to try and decipher what is going on at La Cotte as the walls have been stripped of plaster and the floors taken up. A plan with suggestions made a few years ago on a previous inspection will be available for people to walk around with and compare the architect’s notes with their observations,.
According to Hans Fransen, the farm was first granted to a Huguenot, Jean Gardiol, in 1713. The T-shaped farmhouse now has a corrugated iron roof and clipped gables, the front gable bearing the date 1836. With the plaster removed the position of the original casements can be clearly seen. There are number of interesting outbuildings forming the werf, as well as an overshot water-mill a short distance away.
Please read the original La Cotte article in the VASSA Journal (Number 11 June 2004) on the VASSA website (under Publications / Journals) so that you arrive well informed!
La Cotte watermill
La Cotte werf