Bellingham Homestead

The Historical Bellingham Homestead, is Nestled at the Foot of the Groot Drakenstein Mountain, a National Monument owned by The Podlashuk Bellinchamp National Heritage Foundation. It is the Birthplace of the World Famous Bellingham Wines, although they are no longer made here, Bellingham Wines have a tasting room at Franschhoek Cellars, in the Village of Franschhoek.

We are just 10mins drive from Franschhoek, the Dining and Art Capital of South Africa. We too are a comfortable and easy 20 minute drive from Paarl and Stellenbosch, as well as a mere 45 minutes from Cape Town International Airport and the V & A Waterfront, as well as Worcester. Hermanus is just under 1 hour drive from here.

We are a Separate Entity, nestled amidst a Privately owned Vineyard, offering you an Affordable, Simple, Unique, Relaxed location with absolute Peace and Tranquillity. Bellingham offers you a very private, Self-Catering getaway, with secure Parking on site. The Homestead was built in 1693 and is the Ancestral home of Bellingham Wines. The property was bought in 1943 and produced, amongst other wines, South Africa's first Premier Grand Cru, Shiraz and Rose Wines. Bernard Podlashuk, the father of Bellingham Wines, was the first South African to receive The Chevalier de Taste de Vin and at the time, only the Second person, outside of Europe to have been Honored with this Award.

We are able to Accommodate a Maximum of 10 Guests at a time, in 3 Self-Catering units.

We have a Suite (Guest Suite) and a 2 bedroom Cottage (Garden Cottage) each with a Kitchenette, giving you the opportunity to prepare light and easy meals. Ringwall Cottage, also a 2 bedroom Cottage, has a full kitchen.
Guests can also make use of the Communal BBQ area at the Swimming Pool.
We only have local TV Channels available (Ringwall Cottage does not have Television connectivity, available at this stage)
Guests have access to Free Wi-Fi in the Common Ground.
While the Property is a National Monument, Air-Conditioning is precluded from being installed.

We do provide Fans in the Suites and Cottage for Summer, and Oil Heaters in Winter, for our Guests Comfort. Garden Cottage has a Fireplace in the Main Bedroom and Living Area. Ringwall Cottage fireplace cannot be used, as it has been closed off.

Guests who may require a Camp Cot, please indicate this with your booking/enquiry, we will gladly provide one for you at No extra Charge. We provide an Undersheet, You will need to bring bedding for your Baby/Infant

booking enquiry no obligation!

Reviews

"Peace and Tranquility"

13 November 2018

"Loved the beautiful peaceful atmosphere. The pool was definitely a highlight. The house was beautifully furnished and comfortable. And what I loved the most was that they let us stay as late as we needed the last day as there was no one booking in the next day. So we didn't have to rush. Great friendly service from management. We were made to feel welcome by all staff."
"What you need to know"

17 March 2018

"The Bellingham homestead has the most fantastic views of the mountains but there are a few things to note before you make up your mind to stay there for more than one night.It is not a B&B, nor a proper Guest House or a Hospitality Inn, it is just a "room with a view".We were informed that there is no housekeeping to clean our rooms, this means that you have a hetic fly infestation in your room as they are after your garbage. There is no windows in your bedroom, that makes it very stuffy and hot. They have a rotting pond outside that has not been cleaned for years and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes as we discovered. We had to open a window which has no burglar bars compromising our safety and security. We also had to open our bedroom door to get some fresh air which attracted about a dozen or more mosquitoes we had very little sleep that night. There is no air conditioner in your rooms.You need to know that you are 10km from the nearest town, the estate gates close at 6pm and open at 7am, you need to bring light snacks to carry you through the night and morning.The estate is run by a caretaker and trustees who do not live on the grounds, it needs a large cash injection for the proper upkeep and to provide a service to their guests. At least provide a bowl of fruit and some muffins for your guests to carry them over for the night as the estate is far out of town.If they want clients they will have to conform to the minimal service and standards of a Guest House that people are used to, I hope that the trust take note of our advice."
"The Natural Beauty"

08 March 2018

"We loved every moment of our stay. Very warmly welcomed and looked after whilst there. The place was clean and well maintained. The only problem was the TV reception but the natural beauty of the place more than made up for it :-)))).Thank you for an awesome break away."
"the house, setting and gardens"

17 September 2017

"Loved feeling total relaxed, a wonderful place"
"peaceful and beautiful"

24 May 2017

"The accommodation was very comfortable and spacious. Unit was not serviced, but we prefer to do our own cleaning and tidying up and we feel more secure knowing that no one else has access to our unit and our goods are safe."
"Comfortable gorgeous Bellingham"

23 May 2017

"The guest suite was lovely, quaint and had lots of room and space. I loved the swimming pool & was able to swim even now in late May. The style of the suite, dressing room, old fashioned bathroom (did make me slightly anxious because of current water restrictions) - comfortable bed. The gardens are lovely and it was very peaceful. A little drive into Franschoek. The wifi didnt work for me, but otherwise it was just perfect."
"Great"

24 April 2017

"Thoroughly enjoyed our stay....loved the history of the place."
"Tranquil beautiful setting"

12 April 2017

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay....the host was very helpful and made us feel right at home. The setting and gardens are stunning! We will return one day."
"Great little find"

03 March 2017

"We stayed in the gardners cottage which was perfect for our needs. It's set in wonderful grounds with the beautiful homestead as the focal point. The pool is a great bonus and a welcome relief after a hot day sightseeing. It's under a 10 minute drive to franshoek with its restaurants but it's also lovely to get a load of cheese and wine and eat back at the cottage. The cottage itself is rustic in feel and great for 3 friends sharing. What made this place special though was the lovely and helpful staff. It really felt like a home from home by the time we left."
"Expectations surpassed"

09 January 2017

"Our stay was even better than anticipated. Leon welcomed us with a very friendly face, even though our check in was quite late. The cottage was neat, clean and made us feel right at home. Highlight for me were definitely the gardens surrounding the homestead, they are truly exceptional and something to experience for yourself. Do not miss out on a dawn and dusk garden stroll. Very quiet and peaceful. Only drawback was our short stay, I would have liked to stay longer."
"Peaceful"

08 January 2017

"It's a very relaxing and peaceful. Rite between the winyards. Can go for wine tasting and don't have to worry about driving. Swimming pool was fantastic. Our cottage was roomy with 2 bath rooms! Highly recommended!!"
"Home away frim Home"

05 December 2016

"Thank you so much for the accommodation, we truly had the best time. Im so impressed by the facilities and tranquillity of the venue that I would definitely recommend it to friends and family. I look forward to making Bellingham Homestead my home away from home when visiting Franschoek "
"Extraordinary"

12 November 2016

"We thoroughly enjoyed this remarkable accommodation. The service was very friendly. The rooms were large with original art everywhere. The decor is eclectic and a bit quirky. This is not your "cookie cutter " hotel. It feels more like staying in an interesting museum. We were treated to a tour of the manor house including its amazing history. We would definitely return."
"What a lovely place!"

18 July 2016

"We stayed in the Fourposter Room. It was very well-equipped, comfortable, warm and convenient. The estate is stunning and we were quite captivated by its history. We'll definitely be back!"
"Go back in time"

26 January 2016

"We loved our weekend at beautiful Bellingham. The accommodation was very comfortable and the peace and tranquility of the estate gardens were a delight. Our hosts Chris and Leon made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be back."
"Nice but many mosquitoes"

06 January 2014

"Nice cottage, beautiful garden, nice swimming pool.However too many very aggressive flies and mosquitos to sit outside, specially during warm summer evenings."
"Wonderful"

08 October 2013

"What a magic spot, we had great pleasure in wandering around the grounds of this beautiful home and cottages. Our host was very interesting to talk to with his knowledge of the house and local history. However one night is definitely not enough to really enjoy Bellingham. Our only complaint is the location directions supplied were very confusing and out of date."
"Dogrose Cottage"

18 June 2013

"A beautiful quaint little cottage with a cosy fire place and breath taking views over the vineyards and mountains made our 2 night stay a memorable experience."
"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay"

27 May 2013

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Guest Suite. The grounds are lovely as well."