Theobald Barber

Once upon a time I used to send a good number of clients to two of my favourite small lodges in South Africa: Three Trees Hill and Fugitives Drift. Situated in the Province inland from Durban, they are both family run and in beautiful locations. There are many activities to enjoy at both, but it is the historical tales associated with them that set them apart from other lodges.

Fugitives Drift is famous as the site of key battles fought in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and Three Trees Hill for battles which occurred during the Boer War of the late 19th century.

The stories of the bravery and resourcefulness shown on both the British and Zulu sides are amazing, and hearing these extraordinary tales being narrated by specialist guides on the actual battlefields is an electrifying experience. The great Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the subsequent battle at Rorke’s Drift resulted in thirteen posthumous Victoria Crosses being awarded by the British Army – the most in any campaign of the British Army.

Here is a moving little story to encourage a visit:

On the banks of the Buffalo River lies the grave of two Victorian officers who lost their lives in a valiant attempt to save the Queen’s Colours of their regiment and, most of all, each other. Despite doing all they could to escape the Zulu onslaught, they lost the Colours in the flooded river and were captured and killed. They were buried where they fell thirteen days after the event. Their names were Lt Nevill Coghill and Lt Teignmouth Melvill.

The news of the disaster of Isandlwana rocked the colonies of Natal and the Cape and threw both Zululand and Great Britain into mourning. Nearly five thousand men lost their lives in a two-hour cauldron of violence.

A young woman aged sixteen by the name of Leila had a particular reason for grieving on that fateful day of 22nd January, 1879: the young officer she loved was killed. She had met him in the Cape and kept up a correspondence with him while he campaigned with his regiment on their journey through the Eastern Cape and onto Zululand. She kept his letters and never forgot him. For her he would forever be a young, dashing, brave twenty-six-year-old soldier.

One particular letter (images on this newsletter) was kept by her family until it was passed onto David Rattray of Fugitives Drift. Here it would remain, only a thousand yards away from the writer’s grave, for decades. In 2024 it travelled to the United Kingdom, where it was handed over to the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh to be preserved in their museum in Brecon.

We generally know individuals in history simply by their rank, job and achievements, but every now and then we get a glimpse of a real human being – a person with a sense of humour, a person who loved and who was loved, a person, for instance, whose death broke the heart of a young woman. Leila never abandoned the memory of her young officer; twenty-eight years after his death she inscribed on a faded and torn letter in bold blue pen the famous letters — V.C.– and underlined them: Nevill Coghill was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously on 15th January, 1907.

This letter will be displayed alongside his sword, his medals and his Victoria Cross in Brecon.

Rather less well known than the delights of Cape Town, the winelands and the garden route is the very diverse range of experiences available in KwaZulu Natal, a sub-tropical region which can be accessed via Durban or Johannesburg. The lodges mentioned here are all owner managed, which means you can talk to those in charge and get under the skin of the South African nation by chatting to the staff, many of whom have worked there for very many years.

There is a plethora of activities to enjoy besides the historical trails: game walks for animal and bird sightings, mountain bike rides, riding in heavenly scenery and through Zulu cattle kraals, and visiting community projects.

Further exploration of Kwazulu Natal can include walking with rhinos, watching hippos frolicking, exploring wild beaches and serene wetlands, canoeing, big-five game safaris, and visiting the Nelson Mandela capture site.

Bush, beach and mountains are all found in KZN – and without the crowds!

PS. For those interested I do have the scans of the contents of the letter which runs to about 8 pages and needs some deciphering!