San and Khoi people inhabited the Cederberg area from early times. European settlers began stock farming here early in the eighteenth centry, and in 1876 a forester was appointed to oversee crown land in the mountains. This was possibly the first attempt at conservation in the Cederberg. A conservancy, of which Grootrivier forms the southern border, was established in 1998.

Farmers used the mountains to graze livestock in times of drought, and together with this tobacco was one of the main farming activities during the first years until about 1965. Today the farm offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy the veld, river and scenery around them.

Fossils and Crystals
The fossils of the area are to be mostly found in the Bokkeveld Shales. The shales are a softer rock which weather to form the fertile valleys, along which the Ceres - Cederberg - Wupperthal road is found. There are other fossils, older as well as younger ones, to be found in the adjacent rock formations, but these are often trace fossils (marks left by the animal), most have been destroyed by the active nature of the environment in which deposition took place. Shales were deposited in a quiet marine environment.

Please note: All fossils are declared national monuments and are protected by law. Removing, collecting or damaging fossils is illegal and punishable by law. If you find fossils please only observe, do not remove.

Crystals or more correctly minerals, are not very common in the Cederberg area (thus the lack of mines). A few minerals have been found mostly related quartz or manganese. Quartz is made of silica (SiO2) and is essentially chemically equivalent to glass, thus its hardness and transparency (sometimes). Quartz can be often recognised by its six sided prisms which terminate in six faces. Manganese is often found as a dark red or black mineral, which form flat, rounded shapes described as botryoidal (reniform - kidney like or mammilated - breast like). Managanese is often found as
veins within faulted or broken sandstone.

Boer War Trenches
During the Boer War in 1901 the English soldiers built trenches on a hill side next to the main route. These trenches can still be seen today. Daily bread and meat was provided by the farm to the soldiers while they were awaiting the Boer Commando.

Mill House
Because the farm is in a remote area, milling of wheat for bread was done on a regular basis.

The mill house is undergoing renovation and will be in a working condition, with all the Cederwood kists and equipment used as before

Fauna and Flora
Interesting flora such as "the elephant foot", various "vygies" and daisy family "asteraceae" flower during August and September. During the months of March and April the veld is a pink carpet due to the March Lily.

Small antelope like the ribbok, klipspringer and grysbok can sometimes be seen on the hillsides. The mountain leopard, rooikat, black eagle, dassies, baboons and a number of bird species form part of the wild life.

Mountain Biking
Olive grove cycle route – Mount Ceder has recently marked a cycle route for the whole family.  This route meanders through the olive groves taking in rocky and sandy terrain, ups and downs.  This route is approximately 10km.

Mount Ceder is a member of the Cederberg Conservancy and is dedicated to the protection and sustainable development of the flora,
fauna, geology and the
cultural heritage of the Cederberg Mountains.

Click here to link to the Cederberg Conservancy website.