Why Live in Stanford? Living in Stanford combines life of a bygone era where cricket is played on the village green and children ride their bikes home from school, with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, perhaps a tribute to our founder, Sir Robert Stanford. But don’t let the whimsy fool you – Stanford is more than a place to unwind and sit back to watch the world go by. For many, it is the ideal place to start or raise a family – there is a pre-primary and primary school in the village, and Hermanus is just down the road for the teens and has its own share of schooling.
What is going on in Stanford? Naturally beautiful, but not just a pretty face, Stanford and its surroundings are full of activity. Don’t miss out on a thing by reading the weekly 'What’s on' compiled by Stanford Tourism and Business. From markets and workshops, to special offers and live music, village events, ongoing charity projects and family fun, the 'What’s on' will keep you in the loop. Free, with no strings attached, sign up to receive the 'What’s on' in Stanford and surroundings directly to your inbox every week. You may unsubscribe at any time and your contact information will not be used for anything else without your deliberate consent.
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The first mention of the area around the Klein River dates back to 1707 when Jan Hartog (head gardener of the VOC in the Cape) and his party grazed their cattle during a barter trip to the Overberg at the river then only known by its Hottentot name Gonuka Goggo – or in Dutch the kleijne rivier. No information exists about the first person being given the grazing rights to the Kleyne Riviers Valley (note the ij changing to y in the spelling), but we do know it was given to a Michiel Vlotman in 1758. The rights then passed to Jeremias Auret. In 1783 he abandoned the farm and the grazing rights were transferred to Christoffel Brand.
Brand was the first to build a house on the farm, which was the holiday home of the Brand family for nearly 30 years. In 1813 the farm was sold to Johannes Truter. In recognition of his service as Chief Justice, Truter was knighted in 1820 – the first South African by birth to receive this honour.
Take a historical walk around Stanford
Learn the tragic history of Sir Robert Stanford and the stories behind many of the original houses in this heritage village.
Find out where Lady Anne Barnard stayed on her trip to the inland and where the undertaker’s daughter liked to do her homework.
Our village history is rich and full of colourful characters. Visit one of the few remaining market Squares in South Africa and let your mind drift back centuries to a time of horses and oxcarts, and livestock and excited children running around on this very square.
You have the option of booking a guided tour or picking up a map from the tourism office and following the route on you own.
After a whirlwind visit to Stanford, Jarlath Sweeny is over the moon that his dream and objective came to frui...
