Graded Stellenbosch Heritage
STELLENBOSCH HERITAGE
STELLENBOSCH ARCHITECTURE
STELLENBOSCH INNOVATION
STELLENBOSCH URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING
General introduction to the two Stellenbosch Heritage Surveys
The Stellenbosch Foundation completed the first heritage survey for Stellenbosch in 2012. The survey, approved by Heritage Western Cape, graded more than 500 properties, structures and landscapes in central Stellenbosch. It was the first electronically accessible survey in South Africa.
This survey had a positive impact on the management of historical buildings and the process to renovate buildings or to develop to higher density in central Stellenbosch. It created a platform to manage heritage according to evidence-based, factual and internationally accepted norms. Opinions, sentiment and assumptions often undermine constructive heritage management. The survey gave developers and concerned groups access to the heritage status of a building or landscape before plans were developed and building started. Thus, the heritage survey prevented wasteful legal actions late in projects.
Before the survey, applications for development in the Stellenbosch middedorp were often fraught. In the absence of guidelines, objections to building plans ended up in legal action and disruptive court cases.
Following this first heritage survey, the Municipality commissioned a second survey for the rest of the district. Professor Fabio Todeschini and Liana Jansen lead this second project. Heritage Western Cape approved this survey in 2018.
Interactive Maps & Search Engine of Survey Results
2016 Cape Winelands Heritage Survey
The map shows:
- the range of elements (from large to small), that are represented by Valleys to Areas to Units, alignments (including scenic routes) and specific sites;
- the spatial patterns, that comprise the most distinctive and most significant combinations and clusters of heritage resources that need to be protected and enhanced.
How to operate the online map:
- Click on this link to open the Expanded map which includes various Critical Biodiversity layers.
- Every link on the right-hand legend can be switched on and off.
- Once a layer is switched on, you can click on any point and polygon, opening a pop-up balloon with extra information.
- Some clickable points (heritage sites, landscape units, townscape units) have pdfs (documents) linked to them. Once clicked, it will take you to the pdf with further heritage significance information.
- The Landscape Unit pdfs are arranged from the large-scale Valleys to the smaller Areas within the valleys and then the smallest Landscape Units that have been graded. Please open them all to gain the most thorough understanding of the Unit.