138.Retreat Homestead Cogmanskloof

15th August 2025

Updated: 18/08/2025

There is a general perception that the area around the Old English Fort in Cogmanskloof is called Kalkoennes. This is correct however an important piece of history needs to be placed on record. Two families owned properties in the area around the Fort. Dr. Muller who sold a piece of his property called Kalkoennes to P.J. Joubert. According to the title deeds of this transaction the ground purchased by P.J. Joubert was called Retreat. The information below makes Retreat visible. The Cogmans River acted as a natural divide between the Muller and Joubert properties

P.J. Joubert added the second piece of land called Annex Kalkoennes to Retreat

Map: Klaus Riding/Charles Torrance

The Joubert homestead which the title deeds show as being called Retreat

Retreat

Pictures: Montagu Museum

The property in this area was owned by two families. Retreat was owned by the Joubert family and Kalkoennes was owned by the Muller family.

Picture: Jaco de Kock collection

Retreat before building alterations

Picture: Amanda Haasbroek

The old kitchen building can be seen to the right of the homestead

Post Card: Lizette and Danie Retief

Charles Torrance: This is the house built by P.J. Joubert on the property “Retreat” as per the tittle deeds (but which has erroneously over the years been called “Kalkoennes”). The picture shows the house with the front room and balcony added onto the original 1920 structure which was a single room. The staircase in front of the building was hinged so that it could be pulled up to avoid flood damage. The original house and hence the additional front room, was built above the 1906 flood line that was the highest flood level experienced in the Cogmanskloof at that period in time.

The retractable front steps can be seen on this picture

Picture: Die Plak Boek (Sister Martha Johanna Rossouw)

The remnants of both houses can been seen in this picture taken after the 1981 floods.

Key: 1. Outhouse/Toilet, 2. Le Roux house, 3. Joubert house

There was another house built to the left of that in the picture. It was built and lived in by Pietie and Bessie (nee Joubert) Le Roux as a retirement home. It was occupied at about the same time as when my parents lived in the kloof – but totally destroyed in the 1981 flood.

My parents and the Le Roux’s set up a mini cableway which spanned the river. This was done so that my parents could send supplies to the Le Roux’s when the river water level was too high and the Le Roux’s could not cross the causeway.

The structure to the right of the house is the kitchen. This was demolished when the “cave” floor was levelled and the entrance onto the balcony was moved to the raised floor a step or so higher than the outside earth and rock floor. A staircase from the ground level to the raised “cave” floor is similar to the current structure.

I have called the rock cleft the “cave” as that is how it has been referred to – there is a small dam above this cleft which was a source of water for the New Cape Central Railways at their Ashton station – a good few kilometers of pipe hugging the old Cogmanskloof pass road (see pictures below).

Dr. Charles Muller named his property “Kalkoennes” as the cliff and fort area were known as “Kalkoenkrans”. This was the result of all the Hammerkop nests built on the rock shelves and which were mistaken by the early travelers in the kloof as kalkoen which is an Amercan bird. Few if any nests remain as the Egyptian geese have destroyed them by nesting on top of the large pile of sticks that make up the nests.

Something special written by Bessie le Roux

Document: Rennie Rose-Innes

Retreat with building additions as viewed from the side

Picture: Montagu Museum

Retreat where family and friends could relax and socialize

Pictures: Amanada Haasbroek

Anelma Oosthuizen onthou: Met my matriek reûnie 50jr. Het ons klaslede wat bygewoon het die Sondag na ons kerkdiens in die NGKerk bygewoon het daar by die Joubert en Bassonhuis huis gaan braai. Pietman Basson was in ons klas en het ons die vergunning gegee om daar te kuier. Hy was ook daar. Ek dink dit was in 2012. Nou is Pietman al oorlede. Sy ma was Justine Basson. Geb. Joubert

Ons gasheer Pietman Basson agter ry eerste links. (Anelma sit derde van regs)

Pictures: Anelma Oosthuizen en Gawie Kriel

The road serves as an entrance to both Kalkoennes and Retreat. Arrow indicates where the Retreat buildings were situated. The Kalkoennes homestead is on the right hand side where the gum trees can be seen.

Stefani Simons (2016): Dis soos ons die huis daaronder tussen die kranse as kind onthou. Toe behoort die plek aan die Joubert Familietrust . Na die vloed is huis verwoes en nuwe huis en braaigeriewe is daar gebou. Pragtigste vreedsame plek in die kloof.

Stefani Simons (2016):Sommer net vir die mooi Retreat, daar in Cogmanskloof. Dit bly maar ŉ pragtige plek met soveel memories uit ons kinderdae, swem in rivier, braai daar by die rots se voete met natuurlike stroompie berg water wat daar afkom in rotspoel. Die oorspronklike huis natuurlike weggespoel met die groot vloed, maar herbou en steeds privaat grond van die Joubert/Basson families.