Contact Artefacts please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.	Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon		Blockhouse Burgersdorp, Eastern Cape ROYAL ENGINEERS: Architect

Date: n.d. Type: Blockhouse Status: Extant   Click to view map Coordinates: 30°59'23.61" S 26°19'55.92" E Alt: 1412m

Boer War British blockhouse built on the same pattern as Laingsburg blockhouse. Wording on Historical Monuments Commission signboard: HISTORICAL MONUMENTS COMMISSION _______ THIS IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND THE PUBLIC IS RESPECTFULLY ASKED NOT TO DAMAGE IT IN ANY WAY. HISTORIESE MONUMENTE- KOMMISSIE _______ DIT IS 'N NASIONALE GEDENKWAARDIGHEID EN DIE PUBLIEK WORD BELEEF VERSOEK OM DIT NIE TE BESKADIG NIE. Wording on the descriptive signboard: BLOKHUIS. Gedurende die Anglo-boere-oorlog het die blokhuise 'n sterk verdedigingslinie gevorm wat gestrek het vanaf Queenstown deur Molteno en Burgersdorp na Bethulie en Aliwal- Noord. Burgersdorp beskik oor twee van die stewige geboue. Die Britse magte het die forte gebruik as vesting vir hul troepe wat die treinspoor en brue teen die republikeinse kommando's (boeremagte) moes beskerm. Hierdie kommando's het in die deel van Kaapland dikwels die kolonie vanuit die Vrystaat binnegeval. Die een blokhuis is deur die Tafelaars gerestoureer en gebruik terwyl die ander een in 1939 as Nasionale Monument verklaar is. (Brandwag) BLOCKHOUSES. During the Anglo-Boer War the Block Houses formed a strong line of defence which stretched from Queenstown through Molteno to Aliwal-North and Bethulie. Burgersdorp can boast of two of these sturdy structures. The British troops used these forts as a stronghold for their troops who were guarding and protecting the railway line itself as well as the bridges, from the Republican Commandos (the Boer army). These commandos frequently attacked this post of the Cape Province from the Free State. One of these Block Houses has been restored by the local Round Table and is also used by them while the other Block House was declared a National Monument in 1939 (Brandwag). IZINOLU ZEBLOKO. Ngexesha lemfazwe yeAnglo-Boer, izindlu zebloko zakha umtyangampo weqilima lokhuselo, oqala eKomani ugqithe eMolteno, e-Alvani naseBethuli Ibegasdolophu inokuzingca ngale mixokelelwane yomeleleyo. Imikhosi yaseBritani yayisebenzisa ezi nqba njenge qilima yemikhosi yokwalusa nokuhusela umzila kaloliwe kwaneebhulorho kwiRepublican Commandos umkhosi wamabhulu. Le mikhosi yamahhulu yayithe gqolo ukuhlasele esi siphambuka seMpuma-koloni. Efreystata, enye yezizinlu zebloko gcinwe yi'Round Table' yalapha kwaye isaseteyenzizwa ngabo, ukanti intxalenye yezizindlu zebloko yenziwa i'National Monument ngo 1939. (Brandwag) All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. Books and articles that reference Blockhouse Green, Simon C . 2022. Anglo-Boer War blockhouses : a field guide. Johannesburg: Porcupine Press. pg 27-28