Lady Grey is a rural village in the North of the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

near the border with

Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...

. It is situated in the foothills of the Witteberg mountains, due east of

Aliwal North Maletswai (previously Aliwal North) is a town in central South Africa on the banks of the Orange River, Eastern Cape Province. It is a medium-sized commercial centre in the northernmost part of the Eastern Cape. The Dutch Reformed Church was b ...

on the R58 road and from the capital of the

Free State Province The Free State ( ; ; ; ; ), formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orang ...

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

History

Lady Grey was established on the farm ''Waaihoek'', purchased by the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, , abbreviated NHK ) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the traditional denomination of the Dutch royal famil ...

of Aliwal North on 30 April 1857 for the purpose of founding a new congregation. It was named in honour of Eliza Lucy Grey (née Spencer), daughter of Sir Richard Spencer, and wife of Sir

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Gov ...

the Cape governor . The first municipality of Lady Grey was proclaimed in 1893. Currently, Senqu Local Municipality has its seat in Lady Grey.

Tourism

Tucked away in a valley below the majestic Witteberg mountains, Lady Grey is a hidden gem, a tranquil, rural village founded in 1858. Surrounded by soaring mountains, crisp clean air and gentle streams, a number of charming country cottages provide a cosy retreat for the weary traveller. Old buildings have been restored to attract tourists and relocators. Lady Grey attracts nature lovers, bird watchers, hikers, star gazers and fly fishing enthusiasts. Wild

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

and yellowfish are found in abundance in the streams and rivers in the area. Visitors wishing to fish here are advised to obtain a permit from the local fly fishing association, especially for fishing on private property, through which most of the streams flow.

Arts Academy

The well-known Lady Grey Arts Academy is an exceptional combined Primary and Secondary school for pupils wanting to further their education in the performing and visual arts as well as in music. Regular shows, like the passion play during Easter, as well as Christmas plays are performed, and art exhibitions are being held by the school in Lady Grey.Lady Grey Tourism
Retrieved on 2 April 2016

Notable people from Lady Grey

* Alwyn Schlebusch – only holder of the title Vice State President of South Africa (1 January 1981 - 14 September 1984), was born in Lady Grey in 1917.

References

*Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (1972)

External links

* http://www.wildtrout.co.za * http://www.artsacademy.co.za {{Joe Gqabi District Municipality Populated places in the Senqu Local Municipality Tourist attractions in the Eastern Cape