Old Bridge

The stream occupying the high-level Klaver Vlei behind the Simon's Berg takes a very sharp bend and descends abruptly via the Waterfall and Bavian's Kloof to emerge through the admiral's gardens to the sea. The lower level portion of the stream does not seem to have been called anything but the Brook. The Main Road crosses the brook by a bridge which is believed to be one of the oldest existing bridges in South Africa. Ascent of the steep bank on the Simon's Town side of the brook by tired animals and people journeying from Cape Town became intolerable and in 1815 the bridge was built to alleviate the problem. The bridge was widened to meet the demands of present day traffic. Although these improvements have disguised the old bridge, the remains of which still exist (see photo) below the new road, they cannot annul the historical fact of its antiquity.

STHS