By Daniela Sperotto
The farmland has since been divided into the suburbs of Lynnwood, Menlo Park and part of Brooklyn, with the “proefplaas” and LC de Villiers stadium being donated to the University of Pretoria.
The current owners purchased the property in 1970. “The extent of the land was close to 8 000m². It felt like living on a plot in a municipal environment,” they explain. It was purchased because of one of the owners’ fond attachment to the land, having enjoyed many years visiting the property as a child – he and his friend, Steve Hofmeyr, enjoyed many days playing on the farm, swimming in the large pool and riding the horses. “I have very special childhood memories of the property,” agrees the home owner.
He and his wife have since done two alterations to the house. “We enlarged the eastern and western side, and also built a new swimming pool on the northern side of the house,” they explain.
The home’s interior is filled with many antiques, characteristic furniture and artefacts, which have been collected by the home owners over many years and give the home a sense of having stepped back in time, marking the history of the property even more.
The spacious and lavish garden, lined with huge cycads, surrounds the house with grace and charm. The family has enjoyed many years on the property and has truly retained the old-world charm of this farmstead.
