HISTORICAL FACTS AND LEGENDS OF OOM PAUL’S TRAIL The farm Bermondsey, named after Lord Bermondsey who died in some distant field, not here, was owned by President Paul Kruger from 1899-1902 and after that by one of his sons till 1911 when it was cut into several portions, 3 of which the trail traverses, thus the choice of name for the trail. Humans have however occupied the area for thousands of year; there is evidence of San, Pedi, Swazi as well as European occupation and stone circles that have not been conclusively attributed to anyone! Along the route you will see ancient terracing, wagon trails and walk along the original road from Middelburg that was used when the Barberton gold fields were active. There are also remains of kraals and camps where Boer families hid among the rocks and canyons from the British forces during the Anglo- Boer war to avoid to be taken to the concentration camps where so many died. One can still see where they hacked the rocks away to get their ox wagons through making the old wagon road which is part of the trail. Paul Kruger built the original structure that is now the heart of the Five Assegais Lodge and a small dam as a sort of One-stop of the time at the head of the Hells Kloof Pass that descends 400 meters to the Komati valley and had an ‘Uitspan” camp here where the Wagoner’s rested before and after attempting the pass. The officially, anyway unnamed Uitkoms waterfall that is a spectacular feature of the farm has a sad story attached which is why it is locally known as Brides Leap Falls. Legend has it that in the early 50’s a local police man and his new bride came to the falls to have their picture taken, where tragedy struck and she was swept with her bridal dress by a high wind over the edge to fall to her doom. The Groom was so bereft that he leapt after her. The tale is well recorded and has even had a book written about it, (Titled ‘Die Waters Roep’ which if anybody can find a copy for us will earn them a free hike). And when the falls are full one can see the bride, when the falls are flooding one can even see the groom, and when it is in full flow there appears the best man too, to see it is to believe it! Another very unusual feature of the area is the ancient sandstone rocks that form the crest of the Skurwerand. These are the remains of an ancient sea or lake from 2.5 million years ago that have been carved by wind and water into fantastical shapes creating a mighty natural Stone hedge. Here in the cracks and gullies that the rocks form, there is a unique environment of stunted yellow wood trees and a profusion of aloe’s that are a wonder to see when they flower between April and June. (A veritable mini Namaqualand daisy experience) This area was for many years principally utilized for sheep farming since the 1800’s. A fellow that operated in the area called Ryk Jan Trekker had so much land that he could move his flocks from here to the lowveld without ever leaving his own property! The sheep farmers tendency to burn the grass for fresh growth and the shortage of wood has depleted the environment of the natural forests , some of the remaining parts you will be able to enjoy on your walk. A large portion of the Five Assegais Estate was put under blue gum plantations in the 1960’s and was also invaded by swathes of wild wattle groves that have mostly now been removed and rehabilitated but our program of restoring the land is still a work in progress. An unlikely pair, an Afrikaans Pastor and a Jewish artist now own the two properties! Together we are attempting in our own small way to preserve and improve this spectacular place. We run the indigenous African cattle the Nguni as well as game. You might see Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Blue wildebeest, Duiker, Klipspringers, Kudu Mountain Rhebuck and Blesbok. The area offers a great variety of fauna and flora. If lucky, bird lovers will be able to see some scarce bird species like the Krans Vultures and Witkruis Eagle. The sandstone cliffs and the area around the waterfall used to be a dassie paradise. In fact the waterfall was called the Dassie Falls by some. The Dassies were nearly all wiped out by cat’s flu 20 years ago, we are looking for some if you have any. We welcome you to our homes and hope that you will have a great time in this wonderful and amazing place.