Wheatlands Country House (50 km From Graaff-Reinet)

• Graaff-Reinet

Living in history

There’s no longer any wheat at Wheatlands but there is loads of nourishing sunlight and space.

Ample rooms, high ceilings, stained glass and substantial furniture hark back to a more opulent era. Back to 1912, in fact, when farmer Arthur Short’s great-grandparents hired an architect from Oudtshoorn and built themselves a grand home. It was the height of the ostrich feather boom and mansions reflected personal fortunes.

It was also the height of the Arts & Crafts period, and many features at Wheatlands indicate the decorating tastes of owner and designer. Panelling, brass handles on the generous double doors, light fittings and paintings provide an authentic period backdrop to a farm stay worth remembering.

The Short family and their Parkes ancestors have been on Wheatlands since 1849, when the first family members arrived from Argentine with their furniture. Brandy was made on the farm until the turn of the last century, and it had telephones before Graaff-Reinet. A century-and-a-half of this family history suffuses every room, and surrounds your stay.

Hostess Diana Short leads you past sepia photographs of cricket teams to two wings of rooms that open onto verandahs and look onto the verdant garden (where old roses from the original garden still grow). She and her staff cook the memorable meals which are served in the baronial dining room.

Dinner features homegrown vegetables and Karoo lamb while breakfast boasts homemade bread and milk. "Oh, that bread," sighs a comment in the visitors’ book.

The wholesome farm food, along with shelves of books, a baby grand piano in the parlour and pervasive peace make Wheatlands a place of nostalgia, with memories to cherish.

Guests can take part in the life of a working farm

"Everything is original," says Diana, "everything is as it was." Except for the wheat – which has been replaced by more suitable goats and sheep. At shearing time, guests can take part in the life of a working farm. And when the farm school is in session, pupils will sing to them.

For a short while, staying at Wheatlands means living to the beat of a different era.