Tucked behind the village centre, Franschhoek's Old Cemetery is one of those places where history becomes tangible. The stones here carry the names of families who shaped this valley - Roux, Le Roux, Haumann, Kriel, Hugo, Pepler - and to walk among them is to understand, in a very direct way, how deep the roots of Franschhoek run.

A Place of Families

The cemetery was in use until the turn of the twentieth century, serving the community through its most formative decades. The names on the stones are not merely historical records, they are the surnames that still echo through the valley today, carried by descendants who have farmed, built and lived here for generations.

Loss, Recovery and New Purpose

The cemetery has not been without its difficulties. The original ring-wall was demolished in 1980, an act of destruction that should not have happened. It has since been reconstructed by the Franschhoek Conservation Trust, restoring something of the enclosure and quiet dignity that such a place deserves. Many of the graves themselves continue to suffer from neglect and decay, a challenge that has never been fully resolved.

In 2005, two new mausoleums were added to the cemetery for a particular purpose: to house the remains of graves that had been displaced by the construction of the new Berg River Dam. It is a sobering detail - the dead, displaced once more - but also a record of the community's commitment to treating those remains with respect rather than simply leaving them to the waters.

Today

The Old Cemetery is not a showpiece. It is an honest and deeply human corner of Franschhoek's heritage.