McGregor, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
McGregor is a small village in the mountains of the Western Cape
, South Africa
. It is roughly 150 km east of Cape Town
. It is located in Ward 5 of the Breede River Winelands Municipality. According the Census 2001, this Ward has a population of 10,254 people (Stats SA, 2001).
The village was established in 1861 and was originally called Lady Grey. It was renamed in 1905 in honour of Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reformed Church minister of the Robertson District for forty years.
It has become somewhat of a magnet for alternative lifestyles. The local Waldorf school has roughly 167 children. It is part of the broader wine route network of the Western Cape and is situated at one end of the popular Boesmanskloof Trail to the town of Greyton
to the south.
The village irrigation system dates back many years. The edge of the streets have a water channel fed from the town dam. Each landowner has a slot allocated during the week where they get a few minutes to an hour of the channel flowing into their property. The time is a function of the size of the property. In the past year some controversy has arisen due to the reduction of the roster to every second week in an effort to keep a fuller dam.
McGregor is a popular destination for visitors because of its remote location and old world charm. The local official tourism bureau offers information and travel services to visitors free of charge. The annual food and wine festival, held in August, showcases superior wines from the valley as well as local food specialties.
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is roughly 150 km east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. It is located in Ward 5 of the Breede River Winelands Municipality. According the Census 2001, this Ward has a population of 10,254 people (Stats SA, 2001).
The village was established in 1861 and was originally called Lady Grey. It was renamed in 1905 in honour of Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reformed Church minister of the Robertson District for forty years.
It has become somewhat of a magnet for alternative lifestyles. The local Waldorf school has roughly 167 children. It is part of the broader wine route network of the Western Cape and is situated at one end of the popular Boesmanskloof Trail to the town of Greyton
Greyton
Greyton is a small town in the Overberg area in the Western Cape, South Africa.Greyton was established in 1854 by Herbert Vigne and takes its name from the Governor of the Cape at the time, Sir George Grey. The village was designed by surveyor J. G...
to the south.
The village irrigation system dates back many years. The edge of the streets have a water channel fed from the town dam. Each landowner has a slot allocated during the week where they get a few minutes to an hour of the channel flowing into their property. The time is a function of the size of the property. In the past year some controversy has arisen due to the reduction of the roster to every second week in an effort to keep a fuller dam.
McGregor is a popular destination for visitors because of its remote location and old world charm. The local official tourism bureau offers information and travel services to visitors free of charge. The annual food and wine festival, held in August, showcases superior wines from the valley as well as local food specialties.