Thistledown Country House

Thistledown Country House offers some of the best food on the Midlands Meander

Contact Details TEL:033 2677370 Norma Maguire Our Rating out of 10 Enquire now View Rates

Description

Thistledown Country House is set on 20 acres nestling amongst farmlands just below the Karkloof Hills in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. These hills are covered with the second largest tract of indigenous forest in South Africa.

You are offered elegant country living in the restored farmhouse. The five double, en suite bedrooms are tastefully decorated in cream and white.

Meals at Thistledown are memorable. Although cosmopolitan in nature, there is a strong Japanese influence, with many of the sauces being specially imported from Japan. Booking for lunches and dinners is essential.

Thistledown Country House in the tranquil Karkloof Valley is the ideal place to escape from the city.

Over the tree-and-a-half years that Thistledown Country House has been operating, it has become known for its hospitality, fine food and comfortable accommodation. This is evident from the many comments written by guests in the visitors' book.

Some of the comments ('best-kept secret' and 'where have you been hidden?') imply a lack of awareness. This is not because there has been no advertising - it would appear, however, that word of mouth and good editorial from journalists do better. Perhaps the lack of knowledge is linked to the fact that Thistledown Country House nestles in the foothills of the Karkloof Valley, a relatively undiscovered and undeveloped (tourism-wise) part of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The agencies charged with the promotion of KZN also appear to be unaware of this beautiful valley and one wonders why. For the Karkloof hills sport the second largest tract of indigenous forest in the country - and it is considered the most pristine.

The Nkonkweni waterfall tumbles down from these lovely forests and flows through the 20-acre property on which Thistledown is situated. Originally part of the Colbourne Farm, the house was the second to be built on the property and is literally the house that Jack built as it was built by Jack Shaw, one of four Springbok polo-playing brothers, around 1937.

Today, after some renovations, this old farmhouse offers five double en-suite bedrooms which are very comfortable. One of these rooms has its own fireplace and is often specially requested during the bracingly crisp winter months. However, it is also asked for because it is the only bedroom with a bath, the others having showers. And the bath has a history - now restored, it was bought from the Imperial Hotel in Pietermaritzburg and was used by the Prince of Wales during a visit there.

Guests often comment on the quality of the linen and duvets, as well as the Andrew Walford hand basins in some of the rooms. In the bedroom mentioned above, a Walford basin has been set into a cross-section of a large gum tree trunk.

During the winter months, the log fire in the lounge-cum-dining room is a very popular place to sit and sip sherry, port or red wine. In time, this room will become a dedicated lounge for resident guests as a separate dining room is being built. At present the area which will eventually become the dining room is an open-air structure which has been successfully used for small weddings or functions for up to 75 people.

Thistledown Country House has gained a reputation for the good food served - again, the visitors' book is a source of gratifying comment. The menus are cosmopolitan in nature, although there is a Japanese element to many of the dishes, with many of the ingredients being specially imported.

Lunches and dinners are also available for non-resident guests and these must be booked reasonably well in advance. Popular items are : fish served with veloute sauce; fillet of beef marinated with teriyaki; tempura prawns served on a bed of salad with a special Japanese-style dressing; lamb shanks; passion fruit mousse; chocolate almond cake; cinnamon swirl coffee cake with butterscotch sauce; and flash-baked crepes with crème brulee custard and raspberries.

Despite its seemingly out-of-the-way situation, Thistledown is the ideal place to relax, sitting on the L-shaped veranda and looking out over one of the prettiest valleys in the world or spotting some of the 129 species of birds recorded in the area. Just one-and-a half hours away form Durban and four-and-a half hours form Johannesburg, it is also an ideal base from which to explore the many attractions of the KZN Midlands. These include: the Midlands Meander, along which one is able to visit the homes and studios of artists and craftspeople and buy their wares; Midmar Dam, where game can be viewed whilst participating in a variety of watersports; numerous waterfalls, the best-known being the Karkloof fallsand the Howick Falls; the fine examples of Victorian architecture in Pietermaritzburg; and the many well -known private schools.

The more adventurous are able to participate in a variety of sports at numerous venues nearby. These include polo, tennis, bowls, golf, horse-riding, hiking, mountain-biking and fly-fishing.

Many other attractions of this richly endowed province are also not far away - be they the Drakensberg, battlefields, beaches, game parks or wetland heritage sites.

Group Tours / Coach Charters
Although we can only accommodate ten people in our bedrooms, we are able to arrange for larger groups to be accommodated at other establishments in the area. Should this be necessary, we can let you have details about the facilities of these. It should also be noted that the road to Thistledown can not accommodate very large buses.Click on image to enlarge

*For those who wish to visit Thistledown Country House for lunch or dinner only, there is a fixed menu (three or four courses) and the dining room can accommodate 20 people.