Westminster Estate Buildings: The Big House Tweespruit district, Free State Architect: BAKER, MASEY and SLOPER

View of house from north west Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30

Date: 1904 Type: Homestead Style: Arts and Crafts : Baker School Status: Extant

Notes: At the end of the South African War, Lord Milner sponsored a settlement scheme in that part of the Orange Free State which stretched roughly from Thaba Nchu to Wepener. This area was known as 'The Conquered Territory' because it was the scene of the wars between the Free State Burghers and the Basuto people. The settlers were mainly ex-servicemen and they were given a piece of land, two artillery horses, a wagon and a plough and were expected to fend for themselves. Lord Milner suggested to the young Duke of Westminster that he should start a similar scheme on a smaller scale and bring out settlers for it from his estates in the United Kingdom. The Duke bought nearly ten thousand morgen [about 8 500 ha] of fine grassland stretching eastward from the present Agricultural Farm near Tweespruit to some four miles beyond Westminster Station. This cost about eight pounds a morgen. On the north side of this area he established his home and built the Big House, outbuildings, stables and a house for an agent. The rest of the land was divided into farms of about four hundred morgen and a house and a stable were built on each. Water was found for each farm, a windmill erected and, when this was accomplished, the Westminster estate was settled with both local men and men from England Except for Ormonde, which was named after a famous horse belonging to the Duke, the farms were named after various Westminster estates in Britain: Belgrave, Eaton, Grosvenor, Madersfield, Broxton, Aldford, Newlands, Malpas, Beauchamp, Lumley, Eccleston, Halkyn, Shaftsbury, Wyndham, Crichton, Chesam and Ormonde. A schoolhouse was built on the top of a rising near Westminster station. (Greig 1970:142) The Garden Baker was strongly guided by Gertrude JEKYLL’s design principles when he designed Westminster’s garden. Apart from the beautiful view, the site was chosen in order ''to take advantage of the good garden ground both on the top and bottom of the kopj''. Baker drew up a fairly detailed plan which clearly depicts the formal garden, demonstrating how it connects the house with the surrounding landscape and the dam below, strongly influenced by Jekyll’s design dictum'' to join the one [house] to the other [landscape]''. In order to make the most of the view, Baker conceptualised the garden as essentially ''a wall and terrace garden'' consisting of a series of four terraces and their retaining walls. The garden’s rectangular terraces and the geometrical and rectangular flower beds that were laid out on them created a formal framework for the garden. In true Jekyllian style this formality was balanced with informal planting in the flower beds. [See Du Bruyn 2016: 99-118 for full article and original references. (Our thanks to Wallace HONIBALL for bringing this to our attention)] 2015 02 14: An article in Die Burger states that the buildings and gardens are being well managed by Helen and Rupert Fitzmaurice. Helen's grandfather Charles Thatch­er was the manager of the estate. His son, ­Michael (Mike) Thatcher, took over and now it is in the charge of Helen en Rupert. Some personal recollections Sent to us by Lauretta Bloemhoff. "I grew up on the farm Halkyn which belonged to the then owner, Captain George Webster. My father managed the farm for him. My parents were Jakobus and Joyce van Staden : Dad was fondly called 'Van' by the mostly English speaking community of Westminster. The farm of our home friends, Jack and Ruth Armour, Ormonde, was adjacent to Halkyn and we often used to travel by horse and cart to visit each other. I do remember as a little and young girl how we were invited every year, when Lady Mary Grosvenor came to South Africa to stay at her estate, to attend her very special High Tea event : for all of us this was the event of the year – what wonderful times with all guests dressed up smartly and everything presented so grand and tasteful in true English style. Lady Mary was so humble and did not look down on anyone – wonderful times, wish I could turn the clock back."

References:

Entrance gate on southern side Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Forecourt from north Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Main entrance Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Top of gable above entrance with date - 1904 Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Window in gable above entrance with Duke of Westminster coat of arms Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 View from east Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Pool with bridge Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Double gables at north east end Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Detail of rainwater hopper between gables with date - 1904 Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Pedestrian gate Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Motor gate Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Gatehouse Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30

Architects drawings of early design, not built as per these Click for larger image Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Architects title Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Watercolour of house - no signature Photographer: Roger Fisher - 2013 08 30 Westminster - Delegates at Captain Clowes' residence Taken during the Empire Parliamentary Association's tour of South Africa in 1924. Acc No 1656 (32) From the collections of the Parliament of South Africa Submitted by Lila Komnick Photographer: C F Stokes, from the South African Railways Publicity Department - 1924 Baker's watercolour rendering of the proposed garden layout Free State Provincial Archives (See Du Bruyn article infra text) Submitted by Roger Fisher (2025)