70.The Little Sanctuary
Updated: 24/09/2025
A place where the history can be felt
This article has been compiled and posted as a result of a hand written document (included in this article) found in the Montagu Museum.
The document was written in 1977 by Blackie Badenhorst (Montagu Museum Curator) and describes a period of interchanging ownership of the property, with emphasis on the Phillips and Tevis ownership era.
Note: Certain sections have been translated
Also not to be missed is an article by Yvonne Bussell
Approach to the baths with Lady Phillip’s cottage on the left
Picture: Montagu Museum
“Little Sanctuary” estate Montagu
THE OWNERS OF THE “LITTLE SANCTUARY”.
- 31 May 1856 NG Church Montagu
- 5 June 1929: Dorothea Sarah Florence Alexandra Phillips. Bought plot 717 for £ 50.
- 27 September 1933: Dorothea Sarah Florence Alexandra Phillips. Bought adjacent plot for £15.
- 1945: E.M. Nicholson.
- 31 January 1949: Hugh Tevis. jr.
- 8 May 1973: Little Sanctuary (Pty) Ltd
- 1960’s: A.Idelson (Exact Date unknown)
- 1970’s: Maurice & Belle Schwartz (Exact date unknown)
- 27 May 1977: Matjieskuil Beleggins
- 30 November 1992: Montagu Little Sanctuary (Pty) Ltd. D.Mynhardt
Ownership information: Mr. Mynhardt – Little Sanctuary 2019
The Phillips Era
The wife of the first owner Sir Lionel Phillips had a health problem and believed visiting the healing waters of Montagu would improve her condition. This lead to the purchase of property which borders on that of Avalon Springs by the Phillips family. Lady Florence Phillips then set about designing and building a holiday home on the property.
Lady Dorothea Sarah Florence Alexandra Phillips (b.Ortlepp) known as Florrie.
(14 Jun 1863 · 23 Aug 1940)
Picture: No Ordinary Woman by Thelma Gutsche
The original metal pipeline bringing water from the Avalon warm water eye. The metal pipeline is no longer in use.
The structure above was the original water reservoir. Water being piped from the hot spring eye. The reservoir structure has been preserved and creatively changed into a guest chalet.
Part of the original Phillips holiday home
The entrance to the charcoal cold room built in the Phillips era
The original greenhouse built in the Phillips era and restored in the Mynhardt era
THE TEVIS ERA
Hugh Tevis Jr. (1902 – 1981) was part of the expatriate “Lost Generation” of wealthy Americans who fled overseas in the 1920’s.Tevis settled in Wynberg, South Africa where he established a winery and devoted his attention to women and cars. He particularly favoured Rolls Royces and in 1934 placed an order for the Phantom 11 Continental, an ideal selection for South Africa.
Article: Sotheby’s
The Tevis era was one of major change to the property. Hugh Tevis Jr. built the Manor House, a luxury home for his family. According to the present owner Mr Mynhardt,Tevis somehow obtained the services of Italian POW’s to build the Manor House and surrounding gardens. Local stone which was quarried on the premises was for used for many of the building projects.
The Manor House in yesteryears
The Manor House 2019
A reminder of a bygone era. The servant calling system still in place and working inside the Manor House
Original bathroom in the Manor House with a separate tap for water from the hot spring
The manor house could even boast that it was fitted with aircon.
Original Manor House doors and cupboards have been retained
Two of the original fireplaces in the Manor House. The tiles that surround the fireplaces are hand painted with various birds and fauna & flora of the area.
The entertainment complex also known as the “Band Stand”, where the Tevis family would host all manner of entertainment.
The Mynardt era
On purchasing Little Sanctuary, Mr. and Mrs. Mynhardt (and family) set out to restore the then extremely neglected property. They have since spent 27 years maintaining, restoring and preserving the historic infrastructure of buildings, stone walkways, retainer walls, stairways, garden and pond features and restructuring the extensive garden.
Guest apartments were added to enable visitors the opportunity to experience the peace and tranquility the property offers all who visit there.
One of the historic cottage’s – originally called “Antwerpen”, now renamed Coral cottage
A very old wisteria and coral creeper shelters the cottage from heat in the summer months.
A beautiful stone pond with a carved marble lion’s head fountain, acts as a reminder of the skilled workers used to create this tranquil space.
A labyrinth like infrastructure of stone crafted retaining walls, paths and stairways wind through the property, facilitating easy walking in the garden and onto the mountain side.
A stone stairway winds all the way up the mountain to “Eagles view” look out post. A spectacular view over the Baden valley awaits those willing to make the climb. Crafted stone “rest stops”, are ideal for those wishing to stop for a few moments to enjoy the view along the way.
The original warm water pool which still retains the original foundations and lapa.
The name of the Italian p.o.w. who made and placed this marble ornament is inscribed on the base of statue
Photo credits: Unless otherwise mentioned – Darlene Deacon (Mynhardt) – Little Sanctuary 2019
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF HAND WRITTEN DOCUMENT
A house with a rich historic past came under the hammer in Montagu last Saturday.
Little Sanctuary, a house with a nostalgic historical past, which was built by Lady Florence Phillip’s in the 1920’s, will be auctioned in Montagu this coming Saturday.
The Little Sanctuary was originally built as a small house (cottage) for the wife of Sir Lionel Phillips, owner of Vergelegen at Somerset West and she was the forerunner of today’s fashion of owning a house in Montagu to health reasons
While the house was being built alongside the hot springs, by architect Elsworth. It was a familiar sight to see the owners and the architect, in an open Cadillac with a large truck following behind, bringing one of Vergelegen’s Jersey cows, driving through Montagu. By the time the entourage reached Montagu everyone was covered in dust and sun burnt because Sir Lowry’s pass and Houhoek via Kogmanskloof was not just around the corner.
Several celebrities and officials visited the house in Montagu, amongst others the artist Colin Gill, who married Una Long, daughter of Basil Kellett Long, who has several paintings hanging in Vergelegen. The writer Francois Brett Young was also a frequent guest he wrote his book The City of Gold here. He later built a mansion in Montagu. Ceasar and Florence Schlessinger built the mansion Qui Si Sana across from Little Sanctuary.
After the Phillips’ era, it was bought by Hugh Teviss the American industrialist who transformed it into the beautiful home it is today. The house borders the famous hot springs with a view of the Baden Valley. The house had several en suite rooms and guest rooms. Visitors are treated to an irresistible Montagu behind the high rise walls with wondrous paths leading to the cliff tops. There are also several interesting stories about the house and its previous owners told in the village. Mr. Koos Kok, the curator of the Nature Garden in the village tells that Mrs. Hugh Teviss never walked in the garden of Little Sanctuary or in their garden in Monteray, Wynberg if the gardeners were working nearby. She first rang a bell to warn everyone that she was going on her daily walk and then all the workers would disappear without a trace.
Soil from Monteray was moved to Little Sanctuary and the two gardens had cost Mrs.Teviss £200.00. Later, Uncle Koos dismantled the glass greenhouse at Monteray and set up for Lord de Sumeray in Breedasdorp on his Springfield farm.
Little Sanctuary is scheduled for auction on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Die Geskiedenis van Little Sanctuary
Montagu Mail date unknown
L/R: Dr. le Roux, Yvonne and Tokkie Bussell
Net buite Montagu, in die kom van die berge glim ‘n juweel van ‘n gasteblyplek. Little Sanctuary is ‘n ou bekende naam in die geweste, die ou strooidak en afgesonderde bergtuin van tien hektaar dekades al sinoniem met Klein Karoo grand living. Sir Lionel Philips en sy vrou Lady Philips wat alreeds oubekendes by Montagu se warm bron was, koop gedurende 1929 die stuk grond aangrensende die warm bron, Plot Nr 1, vanaf die N.G. Kerk vir f 50. ln 1938 koop hulle nog ‘n stuk grond by met ‘n pragtige uitsig vir f 10, en bou toe ‘n lang strooidak huis met gaste cottages agter. Wat toe heel besonders was vir Montagu is dat die huis pienk geverf is, sodat dit kon saamsmelt met die rose “Dit was gesê dat Lady Philips so geheg was aan haar hondjies dat sy vir hulle sagte leerskoentjies laat maak het by die skoenmaker omdat dit so klipperig was rondom die huis. Gedurende die 1940 tydperk koop die miljoener Hugh Tevis die plek, verander die huis, en die tuin word omskep in patios, pragtige klip mure met nisse (niches), kunstig gebou, orals beeldjies en pilare, plaveisel, dammetjies met beelde, en klippaadjies wat lei tot by die boonste grens. Die eerste rusplek is Bramble Rose Rest, ‘n paadjie wat lei na die swembad, nou weer ‘n rushuisie, Halfway Rest, en weer verder na Almost Here Rest, dan tot bo by Eagles View Lookout. Orals is banke met strooidakkies vir koelte. Al die grond vir die tuin, vragte en vragte, is aangery van die Kaap. Mev. Tevis was baie lief vir haar tuin. Sy en haar man was dierbare mense – ons het hulle persoonlik geken. ‘n Pyplyn vanaf die warm bron het die hele plek voorsien van warm water” Binneversierders vanaf Johannesburg het die helê huis kom meubeleer en gesorg dat niks kortkom nie.
Die dag toe alles klaar is nooi die bouer vir my man en ek om die plek te kom besigtig. Wat ‘n verassing om te sien wat geld kan doen – alles baie luuks en mooi. Ek het die tuin deurgeloop en toe gou met die klip paadjie opgeloop tot by Eagles View, en wat ‘n view! Vanaf die 1950-jare het mnr. en mev. ldelson en hul twee dogters daar gewoon. Mnr ldelson het daardie jare die Baths Hotel besit. Mnr. Maurice (“Blackie”) en mev. Belle Schwartz, met hul agt jong seuns van Camps Bay was in die 1970’s eienaars van Little Sanctuary. Daarna het dit lank leeg gestaan en toe in 1985 koop Colyn Meiring Argitekte die Sanctuary, en mnr en mev OIivier, die ouers van hulle sekretaresse het daar gaan bly om toesig te hou – baie liewe mense. Toe staan dit weer leeg. “ln 1992 het Dennis en Doreen Mynhardt die Sanctuary op ‘n publieke veiling gekoop” Na al die jare kom die plek tot sy reg, al die bome is groof die tuine is pragtig en dis ‘n plek om op trots te wees. Hulle het vier luukse cottages en nog vier aangebou – ‘n ware rusoord vir vakansiegangers, soos die naam vertolk, ‘Haven of Rest. ‘ (Some of the information on who has owned and lived at Little Sanctuary is a bit sketchy; if anyone can shed more light on the subject, Dennis en Doreen would love to have more information on)
English version
Just outside Montagu, in the basin of the mountains shines a gem of a guesthouse. Little Sanctuary is an old well-known name in the region, the old straw roof and secluded mountain garden of ten hectares synonymous with Klein Karoo grand living for decades. Sir Lionel Philips and his wife Lady Philips, who were already old acquaintances at Montagu’s hot spring, bought during 1929 the piece of land adjacent to the hot spring, Plot No.1, from the N.G. Church for £50. In 1938 they bought another piece of land with a beautiful view for £10, and then built a long straw-roofed house with guest cottages behind. What was very special for Montagu at the time was that the house was painted pink, so that it could blend in with the roses “It was said that Lady Philips was so attached to her dogs that she had soft leather shoes made for them by the cobbler because of the stony ground around the house. During the 1940s, the millionaire Hugh Tevis bought the place, changed the house, and the garden was transformed into patios, beautiful stone walls with niches, artistic building, statues and pillars everywhere, paving, small ponds with statues, and stone paths that leads to the upper limit. The first rest stop is Bramble Rose Rest, a path leading to the pool, now another rest house, Halfway Rest, and on to Almost Here Rest, then up to Eagles View Lookout. Everywhere there are benches with straw bags for coolness. All the soil for the garden, loads and loads, was driven from the Cape. Mrs. Tevis loved her garden very much. She and her husband were lovely people – we knew them personally. A pipeline from the hot spring provided the whole place with hot water.” Interior decorators from Johannesburg came to furnish the whole house and made sure that nothing was missing.
The day when everything was finished, the builder invited my husband and I to come and view the place. What a treat to see what money can do – all very luxurious and beautiful. I walked through the garden and then quickly walked up the stone path to Eagles View, and what a view! From the 1950s Mr. and Mrs. ldelson and their two daughters lived there. Mr. ldelson owned the Baths Hotel in those years. Mr. Maurice (“Blackie”) and Mrs. Belle Schwartz, with their eight young sons from Camps Bay were owners of Little Sanctuary in the 1970s. After that it stood empty for a long time and then in 1985 Colyn Meiring Architects bought the Sanctuary, and Mr and Mrs OIivier, the parents of their secretary went to stay there to supervise – very lovely people. Then it was empty again. “In 1992 Dennis and Doreen Mynhardt bought the Sanctuary at a public auction” After all these years the place is coming into its own, all the trees are thick the gardens are beautiful and it’s a place to be proud of. They have four luxury cottages and four more annexes – a true resort for vacationers, as the name translates, ‘Haven of Rest. ‘ (Some of the information on who has owned and lived at Little Sanctuary is a bit sketchy; if anyone can shed more light on the subject, Dennis and Doreen would love to have more information on)
Contributions: Blackie Badenhorst, Darlene Deacon (Mynhardt), Mr. Dennis Mynhardt, Hilton Preston
