The Ferry House in Knysna
An historic property, Ferry House in Old Belvidere on the west bank of the Knysna Lagoon, is for sale through Seeff Knysna.
Nestled in a private, sheltered, sunny spot on the water’s edge of the Knysna lagoon, Ferry House is set in over 11 000 m2 of trees and lawns and has 210 m of lagoon frontage.
Alan Evans of Seeff Knysna, says this property includes a main house as well as three secluded guest cottages, a boathouse and two jetties.
“With sailing, skiing, boating, canoeing and fishing on your doorstep - in places the property boundary pegs are in the lagoon - Ferry House is perfect for a secure, relaxed indoor-outdoor lifestyle.”
Ferry House’s tradition of hospitality spans 150 years, having been an inn and pub from 1856 to 1930. It is in the Belvidere area, which was established in 1830 when George Rex (the founder of Knysna) sold a farm named Belvidere to his son-in-law for the £750.
Ferry House was built between 1850 and 1854 from local bricks, yellowwood and thatch which was later replaced by imported corrugated iron. The deep water anchorage, 50m from the front door, was a popular loading point for sailing ships.
By the 1860s and 1870s the area was a hive of activity - a shop and a pub were in full swing and beds were available for sailors, travellers and late-night revellers. After World War I the nearby forests were almost depleted of indigenous timber and, without the regular visits of sailors and timber men, the inn became quieter. In the 1930s it became a private home. However, Ferry House remained a landmark visited by prominent travellers and explorers, and called at different times Ferry Inn, Brighton Hotel, Roberts Hotel and The Landing.
“Today Ferry House retains the charm of a bygone era and is well-maintained,” says Evans. “The collection of buildings comprising Ferry House trace its history. The main double-storey Georgian wing was once the dining room and pub below the owners’ quarters. The Victorian verandas and balcony were later additions. The present dining room and Lagoon Cottage were the Brighton Hotel guest accommodation. The kitchen and staff complex are 1920s colonial wood and iron. Ferry Cottage is part of the shop and timber store, extended during World War II by ship owner, Skipper Wenborne, as he waited for the return of his wife Grace who was interned in France by the Nazis. Rose Cottage was the original servant’s quarters.”
Property A (3 981 m2) includes the main house, Lagoon Cottage and Rose Cottage. On the ground floor the main house has a living room opening onto a wide veranda and outdoor living area facing the pool, study, library, dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook and pantry, foyer, laundry, staff accommodation and toilets, and on the first floor a master bedroom with a private balcony, a dressing room, a second bedroom and two bathrooms.
Lagoon Cottage has a main en suite bedroom and a second bedroom, both opening onto a veranda, with a guest toilet. Rose Cottage has a main en suite bedroom, a second bedroom, a living room and a garden patio. There is also a single garage and two double carports, a swimming pool and a Victorian fishpond.
Property B (7 427 m2), on a separate erf with an alternative entrance, includes Ferry Cottage, a large boathouse and modern double garage with a loft. The cottage has two bedrooms and a living room opening onto a vine-covered pergola, a bathroom and a kitchenette. Evans says the boathouse could be converted into a waterfront cottage. The double garage has a separate store, loft accommodation with a balcony, and a workshop. Plans have been approved for a second house to be built on this stand.
Evans says this property offers a number of different options for the canny investor.
“Both properties may be bought for R11.9m. This includes property A , Ferry House and two cottages on one stand and property B, Ferry cottage and boathouse on the adjoining stand. Or the main house and the two cottages (property A) can be bought on its own for R7.9m. The adjoining stand has building plans approved for a second house.
“A property like this rarely comes on the market, especially in a much sought after suburb like Old Belvidere which has magnificent lagoon views and a north-facing aspect. It will make an ideal home for an executive family wishing to move to a quieter life in Knysna. The present owner will however have to approve any prospective buyers, since he insists that they appreciate and are sensitive to the property’s character and history,” says Evans.
Call Alan Evans on 083 308 2595 or email alane@seeff.com.