Palamino : Bathurst

RESTAURANTS & PUBS:

THE RUANTHAI RESTAURANT is undoubtably the most popular restaurant in Bathurst. Enjoy a 5 course Thai buffet at very reasonable rates with Ian and Lek as your hosts.
PICKWICKS PIZZA make delicious thin based pizza with various fresh toppings. We recommend the Paradiso topped with slices of freshly harvested Bathurst Avos. Tel 046 625 0350
BLEAK HOUSE serves breakfasts & light lunches. Enjoy watching the world go by on the stoep or dine inr the shade of the beautiful garden.
SANIBONANI, THE PIG n WHISTLE,THE PROTEA HOTEL & THE BATHURST ARMS serve regular pub fare, steak n chips etc. They are also all open for breakfasts.

ART & CRAFTS

RICHARD PULLEN’S Earth Art Studio is well worth a visit. Each vessel is hand thrown and decorated to be completly unique.
THE CURIOSITY SHOPPE’s wares include Jewellery, pottery, basket-ware, gifts, crafts and sweets
THE TWO SAGES make and sell health and beauty products including the soap that we use at Palamino.
SANIBONANI stock mostly African style gifts and various deli products including coffee and delicious nougat and honey snacks.
THE DANCING DONKEY is the local outlet for Greenaways Herbal Products and the various gifts and trinkets picked up on their journeys.
THE FARMERS MARKET held every Sunday (9:30 am till noon)stocks the fresh and creative produce of Bathurst’s people including: fruit & veg, cheeses, jams, craft and health products.
ELIZABETH’S HERB NURSERY & YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW are our two local nurseries. Herbs & indigenous plants are their specialities.
FARMING IN THE BATHURST AREA: Pineapples, Chicory, and Beef are the major agricultural industries in the Bathurst area. To find our more visit the Big Pineapple (the world’s biggest) on Summerhill Farm. Inside the fruit there’s a craft shop, informative posters and a panoramic viewing deck. It is all based on an experimental farm where you can see interesting new species of pineapple being generated.

PLACES OF HISTORICAL INTEREST:

The Horseshoe Bend and Water's Meeting Reserve: There is an outstanding view of bush covered valleys where the Kowie River loops in a horse shoe. Another 3 kms down a steep winding road you can picnic and relax under the trees at the waters edge. Canoe trails and scenic hikes available.
Bradshaw's Mill: Built by the Settler, Samuel Bradshaw in 1821, this water-driven wool mill contains a working water wheel. By 1825 wool from the Settlers sheep was being used to make coarse cloth. In 1835 the 3rd storey was added and corn milling began. It is now restored and is a National Monument.
Wesleyan Chapel: Built by Samuel Bradshaw and opened in 1832, it was besieged in the Frontier Wars. Houses Jeremiah Goldswain's Family Bible. Services still held every Sunday. It is a National Monument and epitomizes many of the other Wesleyan churches in the rural areas
St John's Anglican Church : Oldest unaltered Anglican church in South Africa. A sanctuary in the Frontier Wars of 1834, 1846 and 1851 for hundreds of Settlers. 1st service held on the 1st January 1838. Look for the "church mouse" on the west wall!!
Bathurst Agricultural Museum: Discover how the past has influenced the future! Over 1400 items of interest
Pig 'n Whistle Hotel: Built in 1831 by Thomas Hartley, a blacksmith who came from Nottinghamshire with the Settlers. Later accommodation was added and it became known as the Bathurst Inn. Legend has it that it was nicknamed "The Pig & Whistle" by the men at the nearby 43 Air School in WWII.
The Toposcope: This marks the spot where the 1820 British Settlers locations were surveyed. 57 bronze plaques record details of settlements. On a clear day you can see from The Great Fish River to Kwaaihoek. The stones in the wall are taken from ruins of original Settler homes.


Bathurst is situated on the fringes of both the Sunshine Coast and Frontier Country, a scenic half hour drive on the R67 from Grahamstown or 10 minutes from Port Alfred, half way between Port Elizabeth and East London on the R72 It is a quiet pastoral village most widely known for its famous (and infamous) pubs! Also in the village centre you will find craft shops, galleries, pottery studios, antiques				shops, nurseries and plenty more to keep the day visitor entertained. There’s a growing number of restaurants to choose from: Ruan Thai offers delicious Thai takeaways and buffets. Sanibonani’s menu includes delicious cuts of venison as well as the usual a la carte fare. Pickwicks Pizza is freshly prepared and delicious. There is an ATM and convenience store should you wish to purchase your own ingredients!				Bathurst neighbours the Waters Meeting Nature Reserve, home to many species of animals, bird and plants. The reserve offers hiking trails, picnic spots and a remarkable viewpoint of the river and valley. The surrounding area hosts pineapple farms, game reserves and cattle and sheep ranches. It is a 10 minute drive to the beach town of Port Alfred and 45 minutes from the cultural mecca of Grahamstown.