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Our Guest House: The Kingsbury Cottage

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Please select from the thumbnails below to view the full size image and accompanying text discussions.

Our beautiful guest house, the Kingsbury Cottage, is available to reserve on your stay in South Africa. You may contact us through this website to inquire about availability or email Franci Roos directly at franci@silkbush.com.

This two bedroom, two bath home was conceived in 2006 and completed in early 2008. During that building period, one of our earliest SILKBUSH partners, Tom Kingsbury, was stricken with cancer and he never was able to enjoy the end product. But he was proud of Silkbush and honored to be remembered in this fashion, as he knew the Guest Cottage would be named in his honor.

This is another "perspective" shot so you can gain some idea of the scale of the mountains and the proximity to the Kingsbury Cottage. The Cottage is at elevation 1,500 feet and the mountain peaks about 6,500 feet. So the differential is close to 5,000 feet! The Silkbush crop map (<a href="http://silkbush.com/silkbush-vineyards/crop-map/">http://silkbush.com/silkbush-vineyards/crop-map//a>) reveals the location of the Cottage on the vineyard.</a>

This is former Silkbush partner Tom Kingsbury along with hometown chum Lorry Wendland... Tom, Lorry, and Co-founder, Dave Jefferson, were all originally from Rochester, Minnesota. Lorry was a cheerleader and brilliant to boot; now she is a grandmother and runs class reunions with panache! Both she and Tom came to South Africa to visit Dave. To say the least, they were very impressed. Tragically, Tom was taken from us in August 2007 by pancreatic cancer at age 64. We decided to name our guest house the "Kingsbury Cottage" after this remarkable and enthusiastic man; we informed Tom of our decision shortly before he died and he said he would be honored. Likewise, old friend; you honored us with your manifold contributions during your altogether too brief a stay.

Cindy, the sister of our late partner Tom Kingsbury, and her husband Tim Wollaeger visited Silkbush in April 2014. Here they are enjoying wine at Lemberg Winery which is one of the neighboring cellars that buys Silkbush grapes.

This is the turnoff when entering and exiting the Kingsbury Cottage.

Our pretty wrought iron gate provides privacy for guests in the Kingsbury Cottage.

The Kingsbury is located on the NE property corner of SILKBUSH. Everyone who has visited has been flabbergasted at the views, the quality of the property, and the serenity of the setting. This early photo was taken in September when there still was snow on the mountains behind it.

This is the front lawn of the cottage.... The vineyards are just coming out of dormancy.

When it is rainy and cold in the winter, we don't have a lot of guests. However, our brick parking area means no mud tracked in in any season.

Here is a view of the land leading up to the cottage..

Here is the Western view from the cottage carport. There really are beautiful views of Silkbush from every direction. Contact us through this website to reserve your stay.

The cottage offers many lovely dining spot choices outdoors.

Enjoy fascinating shadow patterns on the southern views from the cottage.

The mature foliage in the foreground is that of the Kingsbury Cottage. The shadows of the late afternoon are dramatic.

The cottage's big picture windows let in lots of natural light and allow for beautiful views from inside out!

Our first Cape Town architects were expressly told we did not want to do Cape Dutch, but their first (and last) design was exactly that. What we prefer is sort of an updated Victorian farmhouse, with a metal roof, lots of windows, and a stoep just inches above the lawn. You may enjoy sitting on this stoep with a glass of wine while taking in the sunset.

Here is an interior photo of the main living area.

You will find many comfy couches to curl up with a book or take a catnap.

Here is a photo of the dining area and kitchen which are both very light and bright.

This photo shows the cozy dining and living area of our cute cottage.

The Kingsbury Cottage offers the conveniences of a vacation home with many places to wind down, relax, and enjoy a glass of Silkbush Pinotage. You may light a fire in the wrought iron stove as the mood strikes. There is also Satellite TV for your convenience if you crave electronic stimulation. And we of course provide guests with a broadband internet connection as well. Additionally, the cottage offers a separate office for those who want to get some work done while enjoying their stay with us.

The white, rectangular box below the trusses is another important amenity. The air conditioner is controlled by an easy-to-use remote. We offer A/C in both bedrooms, the office, and the living room.

We love the architectural feel of the high ceilings and wooden trusses.

The drapes are necessary in late afternoons on sunny days.

You will feel at home in our modern, fully-appointed kitchen with stainless steel appliances, full cupboards, and up-to-date amenities.

Here is a view from the kitchen, looking Southwest.

No need to over-pack on your visit with us- we offer a washer & dryer right within the Kingsbury Cottage to make your vacation as carefree as possible.

Here is a photo of one of the bedrooms, with a big cozy bed, sitting area and french doors leading to the outside.

You will enjoy waking up to this vista each morning.

Here is the second bedroom with two cozy beds, sitting area, and french doors leading outside. Both bedrooms face the mountains.

We offer four luggage lockers so the emptied luggage does not have to remain in the bedrooms.

You will enjoy this roomy modern shower in Bathroom one...

The clean, modern bathroom with roomy shower will make waking up in the Kingsbury Cottage a delight...

Fantastic Soaking Tub in second Bathroom.

Here is a photo of our sleek modern bathroom with soaking tub....

Another Kingsbury Cottage amenity is this large garden hot tub.

Be sure to have an extra bottle of Silkbush Pinotage on hand as you enjoy this view of the gardens while lazing in the hot tub.

Another lovely garden view, hot tub in the distance...

The mountains behind the cottage are ever so dramatic throughout the day.

The "veld" is the scrub bushes, plants, and trees of the natural landscape. This is how over two thirds of Silkbush looked before we cleared the land and prepared it for planting.

The cottage is a little under 2,000 sq. ft., but has a wonderful back and side yard, two bedrooms/two baths, and views to compete with any in the Cape.

Subsequently, we added folding doors to the carport, to create a large dining/party area with its rainy or otherwise inclement.

If you enjoy a traditional South African barbecue, be sure to use the Braai at the Kingsbury Cottage on your stay with us. The Braai is fully modern and makes for a fantastic evening at Silkbush Mountain Vineyards.

Throughout the Kingsbury Cottage, enjoy original artwork by local painters. We think you may be inspired to purchase a few of your own original pieces of art to take home when your stay is done.

Here is another painting in the cottage.

You will likely see a few tractors on your South African winetasting adventure!

We love the colorful, expressive style of the South African artists!

Here's one more painting you can discover at the Kingsbury Cottage.

This is a dramatic evening view from the cottage.

The highest peak is known as Sybasberg (or Silkbush Mountain in Afrikaans), and is directly above our property. It is the 3rd highest peak in the Breede River Valley, and identified on the map as almost 2,000 meters above sea level. The "shrubs" in the foreground are the Wabooms Proteas, which bloom in December; Waboom means "Wagon Tree" as the early settlers made wagon wheel spokes and brakes from its tough wood. As you can see, the mountains in South Africa are quite daunting and the Voortrekkers had to take their wagons over them to move inland.

The mountains across the valley may limit the sunset, but it is an extraordinary sight nonetheless.

Here is a final view from the Kingsbury Cottage... an absolutely spectacular sunset. We hope you will come visit us at Silkbush Mountain Vineyards soon to experience it yourself soon!

SOUTH AFRICA VINEYARD OFFICE: PO Box 91, Breerivier 685, Western Cape, RSA
Tel: (27) 083-629-1735 or email: [email protected]
Kingsbury Cottage Guest House Rental Information: Tel: (27) 083-629-1710 or email: [email protected]
USA OFFICE: Public Relations, Social Media & Marketing: Lisa O’Connor Email: [email protected]