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Franschhoek Pass
Franschhoek district, Western Cape
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | The modern route of this pass was established in 1932 as a job creation project during the Great Depression, with improvements in 1962 and 1965. The original pass of steep gradients was established along an old elephant trail, hence called Olifantspad (Elephants' Path). In 1819 it was turned into a wagon route by SJ Cats under grant from the government, then named 'Catspad'. In 1825 Lord Charles Somerset had the route improved with the efforts of 150 men of the Royal African Corps under command of Major Holloway, as this was his preferred route to his favourite hunting grounds (Coyne 2010:71-73), this thus being the oldest engineered pass in the Cape and, indeed, South Africa with the oldest stone arch bridge, the Jan Joubertsgat Bridge along the route. (See also Road bridge over Du Toit's River). References:
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