Anyone with a spare R35-million hanging around would probably do well to quickly invest it in a magnificent and historic Huguenot homestead set on 11,3 hectares of wine and fruit farm in the heart of the Franschhoek Valley.
Maybe the new owner will be a lottery prize winner when the PowerBall or Lotto draws are made over the weekend?
The historic Auberge Clermontproperty includes a luxurious main homestead as well as an upmarket guest house, plus established grape, olive and plum crops. It is situated on Robertsvlei Road in the eastern end of the Franschhoek Valley, close to the famous Huguenot Memorial.
The farm lies just 10 minutes’ walk from the heart of the village with its quaint restaurants, antique shops and art galleries. It is surrounded by magnificent mountains, and the Franschhoek River runs directly through the property. Huge 18th century oak trees complete the picture of a stylish yet tranquil country retreat.
PGP’s MD for the Boland and Overberg regions, Annien Borg, says the farm was originally part of the land granted in 1694 by the Dutch colonial authority, to the French Huguenot settler, Abraham de Villiers.
“He named the original property Champagne”, she says, “but it was later sub-divided and changed hands many times in the subsequent centuries. The portion now known as Clermont was named after a village in France at some point during the intervening years.”
The farm’s main homestead was built only recently, and was designed in keeping with the farm’s history and the regional architecture, yet finished with every convenience to create a warm and welcoming family home.
It has a vaulted ceiling in the entrance hall, huge double-volume living areas and a sense of space and light throughout the building. Internal and external courtyards with water features enhance the air of peace and tranquility, while folding doors allow the indoor reception areas to spill out onto a spacious outdoor entertainment patio, overlooking the swimming pool, gardens, river and vineyards.
The master bedroom has its own dressing room and enjoys superb views from its upstairs location, while a second bedroom suite is located downstairs. A gym with steam room could easily be converted into an additional bedroom, as could the large den and balcony located above the triple garage, which offers direct access into the house.
The spacious kitchen has a separate scullery, laundry and store-room attached, as well as an adjacent breakfast room. The house is surrounded by close to 2,000sqm of gardens, running right down to the river’s edge, and shaded by the magnificent oak trees. The home has an alarm system and air-conditioning.
On the other side of the river, set away from the main homestead, is the Auberge Clermont guest house. Already operating as a successful business with regular repeat visitors, it comprises six luxurious en suite bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, plus the farm’s original homestead dating back to 1862, which has been modernised to create a self-catering villa sleeping up to eight people.
This villa has its own private swimming pool and a large covered terrace. The guest house facilities also include an office and reception area, a substantial kitchen, and both indoor and outdoor breakfast areas, as well as ample parking for guests and staff.
Auberge Clermontcurrently has over 5ha planted to grapes, although no wine is actually produced on the farm. The largest section is a 3ha chardonnay vineyard, which produces some 35 tons of grapes per year. These are bought by a nearby estate. The remaining grapes include shiraz, merlot and sauvignon blanc vineyards, many of them still maturing.
The farm has a further 1,5ha planted to plums and 1,2ha of olive orchards – some 350 trees of the Frantoio varietal, acclaimed for its excellent olive oil. The property has abundant underground water supply and the vineyards and orchards are watered by two boreholes, which also supply the farmhouse and guest house buildings.
Additional structures include a safe-room for farm chemicals, four staff cottages, and a newly-built barn which has the space and infrastructure to be transformed into a functioning winery or olive oil production facility.
PGP’s area manager for Franschhoek, Surina du Toit, says the farm and guest house have been maintained in superb condition, and would be an ideal purchase for the lifestyle buyer wanting a country retreat without too much actual farming to oversee.
“Those with a background in hospitality might also enjoy the challenge of taking over an already-successful guest house business,” she says. “But the most exciting thing about this property is what it could be developed into – it has the potential to become a real destination venue in the Franchhoek Valley. It would make a superb wedding venue or would be equally well-suited for a restaurant.”
Du Toit adds that the farming side could also be further developed to produce wine or olive oil. “The vineyards, olive orchards and barn are all in place already,” she says, “and with the purchase of additional equipment and hiring of expert staff, there is no reason why this farm could not produce its own wines,” she says.
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