The Mpumalanga Highlands Meander is the realm of the Anglo Boer War – the old north-eastern Transvaal – where poor weather, inadequate information and, in some cases, pure arrogance played deciding roles in major historical battles.

This is where Buller staged his last campaign, where Ben Viljoen attacked Lord Kitchener, and where the legendary battle of Long Tom Pass took place. This is where some of the world’s first concentration camps were established and, where the first major conflicts between the Boers and the Bapedis erupted. This, in essence, is where a large portion of the history that defines our South Africa took place.

The area is also renowned for historical artefacts and archaeological sites which date back to the Iron Age, including the famed Lydenburg Heads – seven terracotta heads manufactured by a long since vanished people.

The heads are believed to have served ritual or religious purposes and have been carbon dated to the 5th century B.C.E.

To truly connect and engage with the rich history that the region is steeped in, you can’t do any better than the Cow Shed as a launching pad and taking a battlefield tour with Marion Moir and Cottonwood tours.  Ms Moir provides a unique, unbiased and informed perspective into the history which envelops the region and will tailor tours to meet the specific interests of clients.

Catering for parties of up to twelve people, Ms Moir endeavours to provide the curious, the enthusiasts and the history buffs alike, with engrossing adventures through the history of the Badsfontein Valley and its surrounding areas on the Mpumalanga Highlands Meander.
A gifted orator, Ms Moir will beguile you with tales of pain, compassion, intrigue, cover-ups, humour and horror, while touring the scenes of bygone battles, cairns to the fallen, and monuments to the battles themselves.

Discover the exploits, the personal triumphs, the defeats and the victories which epitomise the Anglo Boer War and have helped to define the South Africa we know and love today with Cotton Wood Tours and the Cow Shed.

Click here for more info on this fabulous destination!