Montagu, South Africa

Montagu is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 180 kilometres (110 mi) from Cape Town in the Western Little Karoo.

Montagu
Clockwise from the top: A view down the main street in Montagu, an historic home, Montagu Museum, Great Trek Monument, the Montagu Dutch Reformed Church.
Montagu Show map of Western Cape Montagu Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 33°47′S 20°7′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Cape Winelands
Municipality	Langeberg
Established	1856[1]
Area [2]
• Total	32.71 km2 (12.63 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	15,176
• Density	460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	6.4%
• Coloured	75.7%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	16.4%
• Other	1.0%
First languages (2011) [2]
• Afrikaans	91.2%
• English	5.5%
• Xhosa	1.5%
• Other	1.9%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	6720
PO box	6720
Area code	023
Website	http://www.montagu-ashton.info

The town is named after former secretary of the Cape Colony, John Montagu, but was once known as Agter Cogman's Kloof, Cogman's Kloof linking the town and railway station. It is situated at the confluence of the Keisie and Kingna rivers.

Montagu was founded on the farm "Uitvlugt" in 1851, and is known for its hot mineral springs and scenic mountains. It is also an agricultural centre, where orchards and vineyards are in production and local herbs are grown. The farming area, 'Koo', lies north of the town and is famous for the quality of its apples, pears, apricots and peaches.

Recreation

Nearby rock formations make it one of the country's major rock climbing venues. The 1,266 m (4,154 ft) high Bloupunt peak overlooks the village and offers several hiking trails, as well as kloofing and mountain biking trails further afield.

Popular crags for rock climbing include Legoland, The Steeple and Bad Kloof.

Location

Montagu is near the Robertson Wine Valley and is most easily reached via the Route 62 scenic route.

Notable residents

• Pastor Emeritus Matthys du Toit was born in Montagu.^{[citation needed]}
• The author Francis Brett Young spent his final years in Montagu.^{[citation needed]}
• Jonathan Jansen, academic and former rector of the University of the Free State.^[3]

See also

• Montagu Museum
• Montagu Pass