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St Andrew's Church
Redbourne, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | The small wooden St Andrew’s Church in Redbourn, the oldest in the Diocese of George / Knysna, was constructed between 1850 and 1851 by William Henry Newdigate, who settled in the Piesang River valley in 1847. After purchasing the expansive Roodefontein farm, which he renamed Redbourn, Newdigate prioritized building a place of worship for his family and dependents, a project supported by Bishop Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. The church and its churchyard were consecrated by Bishop Gray on September 30, 1855. It was built of yellowwood and stinkwood, by local labour and skilled English emigrants. Initially maintained by the Newdigate family, the church’s upkeep later transferred to the Parish of Formosa. By then, it required significant repairs, despite having its thatched roof replaced with corrugated iron from Wolverhampton in 1883. The church miraculously survived the Great Fire of 1869. In 1963, it was declared a National Monument. In 1973, Stellenbosch architect George OSLER recommended that restoration be handled by a contractor, but due to a construction boom in Plettenberg Bay, no contractors were available for the unique project. Further renovations were done in 1975. The church’s structure consists of a frame clad with 12" by 1" hand-cut yellowwood clapboards, nailed in an overlapping pattern from the bottom up. (Summary by Paul v d Merwe from: Restorica 5, 1978.) Visit their website. See also The van Plettenberg Historical Society. Transcription of Blue plaque THE VAN PLETTENBERG HISTORICAL SOCIETY References:
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