We recently made a visit to Soetmelksvlei, Babylonstoren‘s new interactive farm experience set in the late 19th century. Upon arrival, we were taken back in time to an era before widespread industrialisation, when the world moved at a slower pace and people used their hands to craft everything they needed.
“After years of hard work and preparation, it is wonderful to share all the knowledge we’ve acquired with like-minded people who appreciate handwork and craftsmanship,” says Adele Johnson, Head of Soetmelksvlei. Adele, alongside her team, are thrilled to welcome guests to the farm.
What to expect
Soetmelksvlei is an interactive farmyard set up like a small village in the late 19th century to honour the legacy of artisanry, all constructed and curated by Babylonstoren’s team of master builders and historians.
Museologist Elsa Vogts, who oversaw the curation of this multi-sensory, immersive journey through time, is fascinated by the culture of self-reliance that was required by farm life in 1897. “It was a self-contained ecosystem where everything was handmade and repaired on site, with a surprising level of sophistication,” she says.
The Farmhouse and Garden
Visitors can interact with master craftspeople as they go about their daily chores on the farm. Through immaculately recreated interiors, the Farmhouse honours what home life looked like in the 19th century. Here, you can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of moerkoffie at the rustic kitchen table, along with a rusk or still-warm bread and home-churned butter, while observing the kitchen methods of the 19th century cook.
Outside the kitchen, gardeners are at work to teach you about heritage fruit and vegetable varieties in Soetmelksvlei’s kitchen garden. Just around the corner, the Gardener’s Cottage boasts a display of dried medicinal herbs.
Eat, Drink and Shop
The Old Cellar is a wonder room in the true 19th century sense of the word, being part exhibition space, part playhouse and part reading room.
Wholesome refreshments are available at the Old Stables Restaurant, which offers outdoor seating and a view of the outdoor children’s play area.
After lunch, browse the Jonkershuis Farm Shop for old-world treats and keepsakes, including traditional favourites like rusks, pickles, preserves, hand-knitted and crocheted blankets, mittens, slippers and children’s jerseys. Soetmelksvlei’s blacksmith also creates beautifully crafted, durable cast-iron pans, oven dishes and braai tools, available at the Farm Shop.
Daily Activities
Daily activities, like milking cows, cream separation, butter churning and wheat milling, are carried out at specific times throughout the day at Soetmelksvlei for guests to observe and interact.
Soetmelksvlei hosts a variety of workshops where a new craft can be acquired or an existing skill honed. These include cooking, woodwork, distillation and more. Culinary workshops are hosted in the Meat Room or Creamery, while the blacksmiths, carpenters and leathercrafters ply their trade in the Workshop. Additionally, Soetmelksvlei’s distillation master teaches guests how make their own mampoer. Workshop dates are fixed and must be pre-booked online.
Animals
As animals are an integral part of any farmyard, Soetmelksvlei is home to a lot of them. The fowl house houses chickens and ducks, with a separate enclosure for doves. The kraal area has a dedicated cow shed and horse stables, with smaller enclosures for sheep and Soetmelksvlei’s miniature donkeys, Faf and Tjokkie. Despite his beautiful mane, Faf is the timid one, whereas Tjokkie will give a friendly nip or nudge to keep the attention coming. Here, visitors can observe and participate in the feeding and care of all animals.
Learn More
To visit Soetmelksvlei, meet at the Babylonstoren Ticket Office at the appointed time and hop on a shuttle. The shuttle departs Babylonstoren at 30-minute intervals from 08h30 to 13h00, and returns to Babylonstoren at 11h00 and every hour, on the hour, until 16h00.
During winter, Soetmelksvlei is open to the public from Thursday to Sunday, 09h00 to 16h00. During summer, Soetmelksvlei is open to the public every day from 09h00 to 17h00.
R300 entrance fee per adult (includes an annual Babylonstoren membership valued at R100). R200 entrance fee per adult with valid Babylonstoren membership. R100 entrance fee per child aged 4–17. Free entry for children aged 3 and younger, provided they sit on an adult’s lap for the shuttle ride from Babylonstoren to Soetmelksvlei.