Harfield Village,[1] also known as Lower Claremont,[2] is a neighbourhood in the south of Cape Town. It is located between the suburbs of Kenilworth and Claremont, Cape Town. The Arderne Gardens are located to the area's immediate north on the other side of Harfield Station. Although it is typically regarded as being part of Claremont, parts of the village overlap with areas commonly regarded as being parts of lower Kenilworth.
Harfield Village | |
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Hampstead Park, the largest park in Harfield Village (top). A community event in Purly Park (bottom). | |
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| Coordinates: 33°59′10″S 18°28′34″E / 33.986°S 18.476°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 7708 |
Features
editThe area has a number of Victorian and Edwardian era cottages. Most streets are named after counties in England such as Surrey, Suffolk and Norfolk.[3] Harfield Village possibly got its name from the original Harfield Cottage, built by Thomas Mathew, one of the initial residents of Claremont.[4]
The area hosts 4 parks (Hampstead, Purley, Surrey, and Princes), two primary schools (Rosmead Primary and De Heide School for the disabled), and one high school (Livingston High School).[4] A number of restaurants and other businesses are concentrated along 2nd Avenue, notably Banana Jam Café and Oblivion Wine Bar.[4] Three churches are located within the community, including Saint James Church which is located within the overlap area with Kenilworth.
It has one Metrorail train station, Harfield Road Railway Station, that is located on the Southern Line.
History
editFollowing the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1814 and the resulting British acquisition of the Cape Colony a number of British nationals settled in the area. The area remained rural and largely under developed until the arrival of the railway connecting nearby Wynberg to Cape Town in 1864.[5] In 1881 the businessman and politician, John Molteno, bought, subdivided and sold-on land parcels in the area now known as Claremont and Harfield Village.[4]
Prior to the apartheid era Group Areas Act the area was home to around 19,000 Coloured residents. All of whom were evicted or forced to sell their property when the area was declared a whites only area in 1969.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Harfield Village". www.harfield-village.co.za. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ Hendricks, Ashraf (24 September 2021). "Victims of Cape forced removals hold Heritage Day commemorative walk". GroundUp News. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Harfield Village". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Harfield Village Area Information". southernsuburbs.seeff.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Early Origins". Harfield Village Online. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Heritage: How forced removals shaped 'An Impossible Return' | Article | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
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