Jan van Riebeeck arrived at the Cape in 1652, sent by the Dutch East India Company to erect a refreshment station for the passing ships on their trade route to the East. Shortly after arrival, he started exploring the surrounding area.
He soon ventured over the mountain, where he discovered a bay with a lovely beach and large forest behind Table Mountain. This discovered area was not used by the company for a long time, due to its attractiveness to farmers and being unsuitable for shipping with its dangerous breakers.
In 1700 the area behind Table Mountain was known as Roodekrantz or Red Bank due to the colour of the soil. The area was given to John Lodewyk Wernich, Mayor of Bismark. He built a farmhouse and called it Ravensteyn. His widow, Anna Koekemoer, married her third husband, Fredrik Ernst Von Kamptz.
Von Kamptz was now the new owner of Ravensteyn in Roodekrantz. He built a track along the coast from his house to Cape Town.
The Wernich farmhouse was later used by British governors, including Lord Charles Somerset, as a holiday house.
The French defend Camps Bay in 1777
When the American War of Independence broke out in 1777, the French and the Dutch sided with America to fight against England. Since the Cape was considered an important trade and supply station, both France and England sent their troops to Cape Town.
The French won the race to the Cape, arriving in 1781, eleven days before the British. Soon, war erupted between Holland and England. The next three years saw the French helping their Allies, the Dutch, to protect the Cape.
The French suggested that a line of fortifications be built from the coast to Devils Peak and to the battery on Kloof Nek.
Von Kamptz‘s track to Camps Bay was demolished in the process, trenches were dug and a battery built to command the beach, manned by the Dutch to prevent an enemy landing.
The Bay of Von Kamptz
When the war was over, Von Kamptz returned home to find his farm in a shocking state. He complained to the government and demanded they rebuild his track. This demand was refused and an agreement made that the governor would buy Von Kamptz’s farm for 10 000 Rex Dollars.
Camps Bay Battery
On the 31 January 1786 the government paid compensation to Von Kamptz and the farm was taken over. Within a few months two small batteries had been built.
First British Occupation
When the news arrived in 1793 of the renewed war between France and Holland, the batteries were taken into use immediately.
In 1807 Lord Charles Somerset was to use the ‚Round House‘ building in Camps Bay as his hunting lodge.
