Kedar Heritage Lodge Conference Centre and Spa
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Memorials
Kedar boasts an impressive collection of memorials to prominent South African War personalities throughout the property. All of these memorials have been designed by renowned South African architect, Nico Wessels. Nico has worked with the Kedar and the Recreation Africa group of companies for over 15 years and is responsible for much of the African themed architecture that can be found at these properties.
Each memorial features an impressive detailed sculpture of the personality it honours. All the sculptures are the work of renowned sculptor, Adam Madebe. Adam Madebe was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 1954 and currently lives and works in Johannesburg. He has had a long career in the arts and is now widely considered to be Zimbabwe's most famous indigenous sculptor in metal, winning many awards for his works, including the notable President’s Award for Excellence in 1994.
Adam’s sculptures, which are often life-size or larger, are part of prestigious collections across the world with some of his works such as his Fallen Warrior, shown at the British Museum, still used as case studies for fine art students in Zimbabwe today. He won a succession of major prizes in national exhibitions and has received commissions for a number of important public sculptures in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, including a monumental set of three workers displayed at Construction House, Harare, completed in 1992 and a tribute to miners located at Krugersdorp, completed in 2005.
The subject of an educational television programme made for BBC’s Channel 4, he is known primarily for his figurative work, but has also achieved great acclaim for his semi-figurative and conceptual work such as 'Hot Seat' (1989). This and other works by Adam were shown at the Contemporary African Art Fair in Somerset House in London in October 2015.
The memorials are dedicated to the following personalities:
Emily Back, Mahatma Gandhi, Sol Plaatje, Jan Smuts, Kgosi Mokgatle, Women’s Memorial, Cecil John Rhodes, Soldiers’ Memorial, Paul Kruger, Winston Churchill
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Memorabilia
Kedar Heritage Lodge, Conference Centre & Spa (Kedar) is a heritage lodge themed after one of South Africa’s most noteworthy historical events, the South African War (1899 – 1902).
'South African War (a.k.a. the Anglo-Boer War) remains the most terrible and destructive modern armed conflict in South Africa’s history. It was an event that in many ways shaped the history of 20th Century South Africa. The end of the war marked the end of the long process of British conquest of South African societies, both Black and White'. - Gilliomee and Mbenga (2007).
Stephanus Johannes Paulus "Paul" Kruger (10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was one of the dominant political and military figures in South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. Nicknamed Oom Paul ("Uncle Paul"), he came to international prominence as the face of the Boer cause. He has been called a personification of Afrikanerdom, and remains a controversial and divisive figure; admirers venerate him as a tragic folk hero, and critics view him as the obstinate guardian of an unjust cause.
Kedar is built on Paul Kruger’s erstwhile farm, Boekenhoutfontein, thus making it a perfect setting to highlight this pivotal historical event, the South African War. The farm lies nestled in a valley surrounded by hills covered with lush bushveld. It boasts one of the few peat wetlands in the North-west province and can be regarded as an historical jewel in the area, as it is also the site of many important archeological findings from different eras. Situated on this 700 hectare game conservancy is the Paul Kruger Country House museum (a National Monument).
In keeping with the theme, Kedar has a plethora of authentic South African War memorabilia readily displayed in and around the property. This collection is one of the largest and most diverse private South African War collections in the world and boasts everything from medals, badges and uniforms to weapons, field guns (cannons) and swords, along with many other fascinating artefacts.
What makes Kedar even more unique is how visitors get to interact with this vast collection of memorabilia. Many collections of South African War memorabilia are either not open to the public or are displayed in museum settings. Not at Kedar. At Kedar, the memorabilia is readily displayed in and around the lodge. This allows the visitor to interact with the memorabilia in a more leisurely manner, for example, while having a meal or a drink.
Many of the pieces on display at Kedar reflect fascinating stories from the war. Some tell the story of the artefact until it ended up at Kedar. All the memorabilia is clearly marked and this collection is continually being updated (almost on a weekly basis). For those who have a passion for history, it will literally take days to get through all Kedar has to offer.
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Museum Tours
Before becoming President of the old Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek, Paul Kruger was a successful farmer who owned and worked several farms in the Rustenburg district. On one of these located on the Kedar Heritage Lodge Property - Boekenhoutfontein - stands the Paul Kruger Country House Museum which encompasses a collection of unique historic buildings, offering a fascinating insights into Kruger's life at a time when South Africa was locked in a struggle for sovereignty with the British Empire.
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Game Drives
Situated on 1200 acres, Kedar has been game fenced and is populated with a wide variety of game, including eland, blesbok, impala, bushbuck, nyala, kudu, zebra, blue wildebeest, giraffe and sable.
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Spa in the Country
Pamper yourself at Spa in the Country, the perfect place to unwind. Conceived and designed as a truly African sanctuary, Spa in the Country uses indigenous African herbs, flowers and spices in all our treatments. These range from anti-stress massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, to advanced biological skin care and water treatments. Our fully-qualified and experienced therapists have been trained to combine ancient African beauty and health therapies with conventional treatments, resulting in a unique approach to body and skin care.
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Bird Watching
Kedar is home to many different bird species and significant enironmental work has been undetaken to remove alien vegetation and to restore the wetlands to enable a flourishing bird population.