Cape Dutch Thatch

Cape Dutch architecture developed in the Dutch Cape Colony, in what is now the Western Cape of South Africa, from the 17th century. Its defining image is a long, whitewashed house under a steep thatched roof, broken by an ornately shaped central gable. The style is closely tied to wine estates and farmsteads in areas such as Stellenbosch, Paarl and Constantia.

Form

The typical Cape Dutch homestead has an H-shaped plan: a central front section flanked by two wings at right angles. Each wing carries its own thatched roof, and the roofs meet in valleys. Other characteristic features include large timber sash windows, external shutters and green-painted joinery. Gables are common but not universal; some houses, such as the Uitkyk manor, have none.

Thatch

The roofs were thatched, giving a thick, steep covering suited to the winter-rainfall climate of the Cape. In common with thatch practice elsewhere, such roofs are typically pitched at about 45-55 degrees so that water runs off before it can penetrate.

Thatch is vulnerable to fire. The Groot Constantia manor house, one of the oldest Cape Dutch homesteads, was completely destroyed by fire in 1925 and later reconstructed in its original style.

Gables

The gable is the most decorative part of the facade. A grand, rounded "clock" gable over the front door is the most celebrated type. Gables are plastered masonry, rising above the thatch line.

Revival

A Cape Dutch Revival began in 1893, when Cecil John Rhodes bought Groote Schuur and commissioned Herbert Baker to redesign it. The revival spread to Johannesburg after 1902 and became something of a national style after the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910. Revival buildings are known mainly for their elaborate gables.

Today

Thatch remains in use in South Africa, both on heritage homesteads and on new houses and lodges, and South Africa is also an exporter of thatching reed.