Claremont is an upmarket, leafy-green suburb of Cape Town, 15min from the city centre and part of the Southern Suburbs. Home to some of the best schools in Cape Town, Claremont is a highly sought-after residential area. It is also a commercial area with large upmarket shopping centres such as Cavendish Square.
Surrounded by Rondebosch, Newlands, Kenilworth and Lansdowne, it's primed for exceptional exploring both North-West towards the City Centre and South towards False Bay and the Beautiful Cape Peninsula.
Minutes away, you will find the historic Newlands Stadium, the local rugby stadium. The world-famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is an absolute MUST, also a few minutes away. Kenilworth Racecourse is around the corner and so is the University of Cape Town - one of the most glorious universities in the country.
TRANSPORT:
The Cape MetroRail has a few stations allowing access to this area and connecting areas including the Claremont,Harfield and Kenilworth Stations.
Uber operates across Cape Town and there are a few companies open offering cars for hire
WHEN TO GO
For beach and sightseeing holidays, the summer months are best from October to April, however, in both April and October the weather is variable and unpredictable. Winters are mild with temperatures in a range of 8ºC and 17ºC but winter is the rainy season. There is something to be said for a warm fireside, sipping the Cape’s award-winning red wines, while the wind and rain rage outside. Winter is also whale-watching season. December/January is the time most South Africans take their annual holiday and the summer break for school children, so booking is often essential, but there is always more to do and see.
FLORA & FAUNA
The transition between mountain and flat the change in vegetation becomes clear, there are patches of Afromontane forest in the kloofs of Table Mountain, the higher and lower slopes the fynbos is characterised by large protea bushes, and as the land gets flatter so does the vegetation with Strandveld fynbos growing on the ‘Flats’. There are literally hundreds of flowering species.
Fynbos comprises four major plant groups:
● Proteas: large shrubs with broad leaves
● Ericas: heath-like, low-growing shrubs
● Restios: reed-like plants; are the only group that are found in all fynbos habitats
● Geophytes: bulbs; these include watsonias and disas both of which occur mainly in wetland areas and are prominent after fires.
Fynbos is a fire-dependent vegetation that needs to burn around every 15 years to stimulate new growth and ensure that plant and animal communities remain healthy. If it doesn’t burn in about 20 – 30 years, it stops producing seeds which could cause the extinction of some species. If fire is too frequent due to human intervention seed banks are depleted which can change the diversity of plant species in the area.
There are nearly always flowers to be seen. Ask the Fynbos Guy what is currently flowering on the Table Mountain Chain.
Fauna
The Southern Suburbs are built-up residential areas of Cape Town. Large mammals are no longer abundant in these regions small interesting and often endemic animals such as mongoose, otters, tortoises, snakes, lizards, frogs and toads can be observed especially in the nature reserves.
Reptiles
Look out for the bright blue-headed Southern Rock Agama, the prehistoric looking Black Girdled Lizard and the Cape Skink.
There are some interesting endemic and endangered Amphibians, the Table Mountain Ghost Frog is a special find, but look out for the Cape Chirping Frog, Cape River Frog, the endangered Leopard toad and the tiny Arum Lily Frog.
Two species of Tortoises are common, the Angulate Tortoise and the Parrot-beaked Tortoise.
There are 22 snake species, ten of which are non-venomous, although they can still deliver a nasty bite if provoked. Some of the venomous species include the Cape Cobra, the Puff Adder, Boomslang, Rinkhals and Berg Adder. The good news is it they are mostly shy and will avoid human contact. The one you are most likely to encounter is the Puff Adder which enjoys nice warm spots, such as rocks and pathways (best to keep out of its way).
Insects
Insects play an integral role in the fynbos ecosystem either by directly pollinating plants or as a vital source of nutrient for birds and animals. Some are especially adapted to pollinate specific plants. Look out for butterflies such as the Mountain Pride Butterfly that is the exclusive pollinator of a variety of red plants such as the red disa, and the red crassula.
Birds
The many niches and habitats that exist (ocean, shoreline, cliff-face, rocky highland, fynbos, forest and suburbia) contributes to a large species count, as does the geographical positioning at a continent's corner, many vagrants and seasonal visitors can be spotted.
For a full bird list or birding checkllist see the SANparks website or for further information on birding in the Cape Peninsula, contact: The Cape Bird Club on 021 559 0726 or www.capebirdclub.org
THINGS TO SEE & DO:
1) Arderne Gardens
The Arderne Gardens are picturesque park that is popular for wedding photographs. The park contains one of the richest collections of exotic trees and shrubs in South Africa, with more than 300 magnificent trees including giant Norfolk Island Pines. In the park you will find:
• Exotic trees and shrubs
• Giant Norfolk Island Pines
• Duck and fish ponds
• A Japanese garden
Main Road, Claremont
Open daily from 8am to 4.30pm
+27 21 689 8102
2) Rush Indoor Trampoline Park
An array of jumping experiences, holiday camps and Rush Cosmic lockdown nights, to fitness classes, dodge-ball, wall running (wall walk) and of course, open jump (freestyle).
Relax and watch others jump, in the cafe with Free Wi-Fi and unique overseas drinks.
104 Main Street, Claremont
+27 21 683 3841
3) Kenilworth Karting
Go-karting at this Kenilworth course is the perfect indoor activity for little ones. Speed racers get the chance to do 10 laps around the 310-m racetrack. There are smaller vehicles for little ones.
Open 10:30am to 11pm
Junior track is open until 5pm
4) Let’s go Bowling
Let’s Go Bowling centres are safe while keeping to the strict international standards that regulate the sport of ten-pin bowling. All equipment and lanes are of the highest international quality. The centre also offer video games, pool table and lounges.
Lower Ground, Stadium on Main, Main Road
faizal@karting.co.za
27 21 671 1893
- Close to Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area (Horse racing events often held here)
- Close to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Bucket list for sure!)
- Close to the Skeleton Gorge/Nursery Ravine Hike on the Table Mountain chain of mountains
- A short drive around the top end of Table Mountain Nature Reserve, you will find Cape Town City Centre, the V&A Waterfront and a host of adventure activities and tour groups
- Cavendish Square Shopping Centre is very close by with all the basic necessities and some stunning fashion outlets
- Rush Indoor Trampoline Park
- Ardene Gardens
- Kenilworth Karting (Go-karts)
- Ten-pin Bowling
When the Dutch established the Cape as a Port a number of farms were established south of the outpost. The most southerly of those original farms, are today the suburbs of Claremont and Newlands.
For about 150 years the farms produced grain and grapes, and some farmers made wine. When the British took control of the colony, the settlers and officials bought the farms, renamed some of them, and turned them into country residences. Weltevreden was subdivided in 1822, and it was a portion of it that was later to be renamed Claremont. The distinguished British Astronomer Sir John Herschel put the area on the map by living there. It became known as Claremont after a village developed, as a result of the railway from Cape Town to Wynberg in 1864.
Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area:
Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area was not always conserved, in actual fact much of the natural veld was inadvertently protected from degradation by the South African Turf Club . The land-use proved amenable to the conservation of this natural asset, ever since the area was proclaimed a racecourse in 1882. Kenilworth is the oldest racecourse in the country and is home to the well known, annual J&B Met. The J&B Met was originally known as the Metropolitan Mile, and it dates back as far as 1883, just after the establishment of the area as a racecourse!
Part of the grounds was previously a Cape Quitrent farm, parts of this area have over time been incorporated into the conservation area, while the bulk of it was established in 1997, as the only commercial horse quarantine station in South Africa!
As is well known, fire is an integral component of the Fynbos ecosystem, however parts of the conservation area have not burnt in over a hundred years, with limited burns having been documented in 1944 and 1986.
In 1882, the conservation area was identified as one of 35 core botanical sites in the country, sadly this did not prevent the extinction of Erica turgida in the wild in the early 1970's, due to a development adjacent to Kenilworth Racecourse obliterating the last remaining population. Then in June and September 1989, the conservation value of the racecourse was highlighted by Dr Clive McDowell in articles in the Veld and Flora Journal, where he emphasised the importance of the vegetation of the site and later described the fauna present. L. Browne explored aspects of the conservation of the vegetation present as part of her MSc thesis; as a result of her efforts, together with Dr McDowell, she was commissioned by the Cape Town City Council and the South African Nature Foundation to compile a management plan for the racecourse. The plan was completed in May 1991 and accepted by the City Council, but due to a lack of funds and commitment it was not implemented.
At some point between 1991 and 2005 CapeNature took over the management of the conservation area on an ad-hoc basis, and performed a controlled burn in 2005. Then in 2006 a management agreement was established between the City of Cape Town Biodiversity Management Branch, Gold Circle (no Kenilworth Racing (Pty) Ltd.) and CapeNature; a conservation management team was put in place, and KRCA was formed.
Since the establishment of the KRCA in 2006, much of the area has been rehabilitated to its former glory, with rehabilitation continuing at present and scheduled fires being performed when necessary and possible. Much of the alien vegetation that was once present has been removed, with continued follow up work being done regularly.
- www.krca.co.za
