Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Simondium, Bellingham

Abstract

Photographs and information on a ship's bell on the Bellingham wine estate near Franschhoek. In the neighbourhood of Simondium, between Franschhoek and Paarl, is an interesting bell at the Bellingham estate. In a pretty bell tower one finds a bell that is clearly a ship’s bell. But as is usually the case, there are no indications on the bell of its founder or of the year of casting. What can be seen is that the bell belonged to the ship BARON INCHCAPE and this inscription is written in a circular fashion on the bell. The bell has a surprisingly thin thickness making us wonder how the bell could produce sufficient intensity to be heard at sea. The bell is slightly mutilated at the nose. Furthermore there is a curly design on the bell as is often done on ship bells. Compare for example the Kirstenbosch bell in Cape Town. The bell probably belonged to the steamship Baron Inchcape that was built in 1917 by Ayrshire Dockyards Irvine. The ship was registered in Turkey and was used to transport cargo. She was scrapped in 1969. How the bell ended up in the estate remains an intriguing question.