Whilst staying at Three Tree Hills Lodge we went on their Flagship tour to learn more about the Battle of Spioenkop.
On the drive over from the Lodge to the Battle Site we listened to a CD that gave the pre-amble to the Boer War, from the Boer invasion of Natal into the Battle of Spioenkop. This was followed by exploring of the summit and listening to the compelling tale that unfolded on this hill on 23-24 January 1900. On the way back to the Lodge again the CD, which filled in the details of “The Aftermath“.
Romantically situated on top of a hill with uninterupted views, the tour tells of the bloodiest day of the war. On that hill were Louis Botha (the 1st Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa), Winston Churchill (voted the most famous Briton of the 20th century) and Mohandas Gandhi (the future Mahatma).
The Boers at Spioenkop.
Mass graves after the two days of slaughter where both sides suffered terrible losses.
The result of this battle confirmed that those early disasters of ‘Black Week’ were not just beginners’ luck on behalf of the Boers. Spioenkop is arguably the most famous of all battles between the British and the Boers. Highly recommended, and very emotionally moving. Such bravery in men so young, many very far away from home.
Random Bit of Info: The name Spioenkop or Spion Kop (Spy [Lookout] Hill) was given to this impressive hill by the Voortrekkers in 1837. This was the original Dutch spelling and is still the English version.
