Kaapsehoop

Kaapsehoop is a town in the Mpumalanga province (formerly Eastern Transvaal) of South Africa. It is situated 1486m (4878 ft.) above sea level on the Highveld escarpment, about 25km from Nelspruit, the capital of Mpumalanga. The name of the town is no doubt derived from the fact that when gold was dicovered in the town, the find created hope for the early inhabitants of the geographically nearby De Kaap Valley - The Cape Valley - of attaining great wealth. It was to be largely a false hope!

Kaapsche Hoop (as more correctly spelt in High Dutch) is set out between large natural clearings in the rock fields near the top of the escarpment overlooking the lush De Kaap Valley situated some 800 metres below, with distant views towards Barberton and Nelspruit. Kaapsche Hoop was a originally to gain fame as a gold mining town once known as the Duiwels Kantoor - the Devil's Office - towards the end of the 19th century, when gold was discovered in 1882 in a small creek running through the town. This led to portion of the original township layout being cancelled and opened up for gold diggings. However the earlier better paying discoveries of gold at both Pilgrim's Rest in 1873 and Barberton in 1881, followed by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886 (later to become the town of Johannesburg), coupled with the meager returns obtained at Kaapsche Hoop led to the town going into decline. The town has been "re-discovered" in recent time and has now become a popular weekend retreat with its period housing including accommodation establishments. New housing (some unfortunately not period) has also been established on some of the remaining vacant stands(erven). The town is also within commuting distance of the centre of Nelspruit situated some 30 odd kilometres away.

The rock field formations near the town are comprised of quartzites of the Black Reef Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup.

Reference: Geological Journeys: Nick Norman & Gavin Whitfield: Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 2006. Personal research/observations: JA Forbes, 2008.

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111211005875166410863.00000112821204764c36a&ll=-25.551424,30.766869&spn=0.163236,0.431213&z=12&iwloc=addr&om=1 Google Map showing location of town]