Forgotten Highway

The Forgotten Highway formed part of the old route to the North and was used by explorers such as Burchell and Lichtenstein. The route to the North played a cardinal role in the development of Ceres as a village. The route ran through Ceres and many transport riders, miners, mail coaches passed through the village and provided the boost for economic development and prosperity. For more than 200 years, travellers used Karoopoort as a place to stay over before venturing on into the interior. Karoopoort is situated 43 km from Ceres and is presently being farmed “Between Karoo Poort beyond Ceres and Verlaten Kloof there is a long-forgotten highway which was once part of the great road to the north-east. It began as the route across the Bokkeveld Karoo used by farmers from the Warme Bokkeveld (Ceres Basin) who, 1750 and 1800, were establishing “leen plaase” and even permanent farms over the Koedoesberg along the foot of the Roggeveld Range. Long before there was a Kimberley, a Fraserburg or even a Beaufort West, the continuation of this old road beyond Verlaten Kloof became the usual route to the Gariep or Orange River, to Kuruman and the Klaarwater Mission and beyond the Litako (Takoon). The forgotten highway runs from Karoo Poort across Spes Bona (Inverdoorn) beneath the Paardeberg, and takes an arrow flight across the Bokkeveld Karoo to the Hang Rock when the hills begin. This deserted spot had once been an important landmark on this Karoo. Beneath it there is an area of scrub-denuded ground which marks the ancient outspan- place. The forgotten highway leads through hilly country beyond this spot. It passes Yuksfontein where the track crossed the dry and tree-lined Yuks River. You travelled across Marigold Heights to Windheuvel. From the Windheuvel the old highway sloped down to the valley of the Tanqua and at Vinkelkuil it blends with the modern high road to Verlaten Kloof. Verlaten Kloof or Abandoned Kloof is a great gash in the wall of the Roggeveld Range. Some early and heroic burgher took his waggon through this kloof and led the way for what is now to be the national northen route.” (extract from “Old Cape highways” by Dr EE Mossop)

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Transport Riders

The coming into existence of towns in the interior, such as Graaff-Reinet, Grahams Town, Bathurst, King William’s Town and later Pietermaritzburg, Bloemfontein and Winburg, introduced a new factor – the need of a regular source of supply from the coast. This was the birth of the transport rider. The expansion of the country was demanding more and more from the transport rider who found the oxwagon, which carried only some 1 800 kg, too small for his requirements. In 1860 a new transport wagon came into production. It was far bigger than the ox-wagon, with side rails and a half tent. The braking system was also changed completely. No longer could the driver rely on the old brake shoe to slow down or stop the huge wagon with its load; instead brake blocks were fitted to the rear wheels operated by means of a screw. This new transport wagon could carry loads up to 4 500kg and was far more versatile than the ox-wagon. The new span of oxen was between 16 and 20 per wagon.