Anglo Boer War
Battlefields Tours

We offer Anglo Boer War Battlefield Tours covering all the battles fought in the Natal Campaign during the Anglo Boer War. We do a half-day tour and a single-day tour and a 4-day tour but if you want to cover more ground, we'd be delighted to customize an itinerary for you.

Battle of Willow Grange

(½ day tour) ¦ (single R2 300) ¦ (double R2 800)

Tour Description: Your first taste of an Anglo Boer War Battlefield Tour starts when you arrive at Halls Country House, 4 star “farmhouse” style accommodation in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. A warm welcome, a drink before dinner and a hearty 3 course farmhouse meal. (Think slow-ccoked meat, garden-fresh vegetables, thick gravy and homemade bread).

Your tour guide will share your 7:30 am breakfast with you as he gives you a bit of background and “sets the scene”. The Battle of Willow Grange was fought shortly after the Boers had besieged Ladysmith. Your tour follows the fortunes of the Boer raiding party from their crossing of the Thukela River on 14 November; the ambush of the armoured train and the capture of Winston Churchill the following day; to the battle of Willow Grange on 23 November 1899.

Willow Grange is one of the most unspoiled pieces of Africa in our area. We’ll drive up the old Natal Government Railway railbed, from the original Willow Grange station, onto Brynbella Hill. After viewing the Boer positions, the tour continues on towards Harris Hill where the story of this landmark battle unfolds.

You’ll have your lunchtime picnic in the shade at the foot of Harris Hill. Early afternoon it’s back to Halls Country House and the rest of your breakaway. It’s a great day out in the fresh air, in scenic surroundings with an amiable and knowledgeable guide.

Includes • 1 night’s accommodation at Halls Country House • dinner, breakfast and picnic • guide fees and expenses • entrance fees • transport • insurance. Excludes bar.

This tour is the one that’s feasible if you’ve only got time for 1 night at Halls. You can be moving on by 2:30 in the afternoon. So it would suit those who are time pressured or who just want a “taster” of what a Battlefield Tour is all about.

Alternatively, stay the extra night – if it’s a Wednesday during term time, take in a Drakensberg Boys' Choir concert. And if it’s not a Wednesday or it’s not term time, you’ve got the Midlands Meander Arts & Crafts Route.

Extra (before or after) night(s) can be booked at Halls normal seasonal B & B rates which you can find HERE.

Audio : Willow Grange

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Battles of Colenso & Spioenkop

(full day tour) ¦ (single R4 650) ¦ (double R5 650)

Tour Description: Again, arrive Halls Country House. Dinner. Breakfast with your guide and a bit of “scene-setting”. Your tour leaves Halls Country House at about 8:30 for Frere – where Winston Churchill was captured. Then move on to Clouston where we’ll talk through the Battle of Colenso from what was Gen. Sir Redvers Buller’s command centre. And how 7 VC’s were won in as many minutes. You’ll visit the Gun Site, Ambleside Cemetery, the Loop and Chieveley.

Then we’ll press on to Spioenkop and a picnic in the shadow of its summit. After lunch we’ll explore the lonely Spioenkop hilltop which became a platform for three future world leaders: Louis Botha, Winston Churchill and Mahatma Ghandi. Colenso and Spioenkop were two of the biggest defeats in British military history – both battles fought in a desperate attempt to relieve the Siege of Ladysmith. Spioenkop was particularly bloody. You’ll stand on the rocky “acre of massacre”, overlooked from the summit, where rifle and artillery fire came in with pin-point accuracy. It’s a bleak place. Success eventually came for Britain but the price was high.

By about 5:00, you’ll probably be ready for a drink, which we’ll have on the Spioenkop summit, as the sun sets. This is usually a special experience, as we’ll have the site to ourselves. Then we’ll head back to Halls for an evening of reflections on the Anglo Boer War. You’ll find that it’s been a long day, but a very rewarding one…

Includes • 2 night’s accommodation at Halls Country House • all meals and picnic • guide fees and expenses • entrance fees • transport • insurance. Excludes bar.

For this tour you need to be staying at Halls for 2 nights because it’s a full day with an early start.

Audio : Colenso Audio : Spioenkop

Meet Your Guide!

Ron Gold - Boer War Battlefields Tour Guide

"Hi Ron Gold here...
History holds a fascination for me and British military history in particular has been a life-long interest. Now that I'm retired and live in an area of such rich historical significance, it gives me pleasure to re-create the past for others..."

Siege of Ladysmith

(4 day tour) ¦ (single R10 450) ¦ (double R12 450)

Tour Description: In this package we’re trying to cover most of what mattered in the siege, and the relief of the siege, of Ladysmith. But it involves 1 night in Ladysmith – after all that’s where it started and that’s where it ended.

Day 1 you’d do Willow Grange (as above). Day 2 you’d do Colenso & Spioenkop (as above). Day 3 we’ll move on to Elandslaagte just outside Ladysmith, where the Boers occupied the station on October 19 1899. We’ll cover the first pitched battle of the war – Talana Hill (Oct 20 1899). A tactical victory for England but a strategic defeat necessitating the subsequent actions at Elandslaagte and Rietfontein to keep the way open for the retreating the columns to regain the safety of Ladysmith.

Then we’ll move back to Ladysmith to cover the battle and the seige, visiting Ceasar’s Camp, Wagon Hill and the excellent Ladysmith Seige Museum. That night we’ll stay in a 4 star lodge and eat at a local steak house. Day 4 we’ll head for the site of the 16-day Battle of Thukela Heights…success for England at last...en route to Halls Country House.

Includes • 3 night’s accommodation at Halls Country House • 1 night's accommodation in Ladysmith • all meals and picnic • guide fees and expenses • entrance fees • transport • insurance. Excludes bar.

There are some battle sites we won’t visit (Rietfontein and Vaalkrans). Access is the issue here (Vaalkrans for example can only really be done on horseback – but if you’re up for it, we can do it). They’ll be covered in our “breakfast briefing sessions”.

And if you’ve got an extra day (you’re in the area) how about Rorke’s Drift, Isandlhwana and Fugitive’s Drift?

Extra (before or after) night(s) can be booked at Halls normal seasonal B & B rates which you can find HERE.

Siege of Ladysmith Battle Of Elandslaagte

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These tours are priced on the basis that you have the guide to yourselves i.e normally a couple and the guide so it’s probably a bit more expensive than some other offerings. We would obviously be happy to talk about a discount for bigger groups.

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RON ALSO DOES "customized" TOURS
covering the Siege of Ladysmith, and its Relief, from beginning to end. If you'd like to know more about the specific battles in the campaign to help you customize your tour, just follow the links below:

++++++++Boer+War+Battlefields++++++++

Capture of Winston Churchill

+++++Other+Things+You+Might+Like++++++

Fly Fishing?

A Drakensberg Boys' Choir Concert?

The Midlands Meander?

+++++Main Pages on this Web Site++++++

Accommodation in the Drakensberg Foothills
Central for Anglo Boer War Battlefield Tours

Halls Country House
Midlands Meander Drakensberg Battlefields

If you've liked what you've seen on this web-site and you'd like to enquire about availability, for personalized single or multi-day tour:
Phone Janette on +27 (0)82 411 9407
(I know it's a cell phone number but the copper cable theives have found us and the landline +27 (0)33 263 2696 is very unreliable.)

Or Fill in the Form Below :

...What Our Guests Say...

Janette and Brian you are great hosts: we enjoyed all the home-cooked meals and the chats in the bar after a day's sightseeing. The open fire and George and Emma made it feel very homely and cosy.

Give our regards to Ron - the battlefield tour was superb and I'll never forget sitting at Spionkop drinking champagne (allbeit non-alcoholic) thinking of Gen Redvers Buller drinking the real stuff while the battle raged. I'm determined to do the Kamberg caves on our next visit and the Zulu battlefields!

Take care & best regards.
Leif & Ann Lindqvist

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Midlands Meander accommodation
in the Drakensberg foothills
for information, enquiries or reservations
phone Janette on +27 (0)33 263 2696 ©Halls Country House - Midlands Meander|Drakensberg Accommodation.

Anglo Boer WarBattlefields Tours

Battle of Willow Grange

(½ day tour) ¦ (single R2 300) ¦ (double R2 800)

Battles of Colenso & Spioenkop

(full day tour) ¦ (single R4 650) ¦ (double R5 650)

Siege of Ladysmith

(4 day tour) ¦ (single R10 450) ¦ (double R12 450)

Anglo Boer War
Battlefields Tours