The name Kamieskroon was borrowed from the unique rock formation that towers above the village. This 330m high rock-topped mountain is called Kardoukop and looks like a crown or corkscrew.
Kamieskroon was initially laid out in a valley 8km north, but there proved to be too little water there and the village was moved to its current position with the building of the NG Church in 1922. The school and church were first initiated in 1924.
Kamieskroon is a delightful village to visit and has many attractions for the visitor, including scenic drives and walks; historical buildings and memorials; shops and all the basic amenities. Accommodation in town ranges from the caravan/camping site to the Kamieskroon Hotel, while accommodation outside the village is on farms – ideal getaway places.
History of Kamieskroon:
The village was born as Bowesdorp, a small settlement north of the present day Kamieskroon. The roof of the beautiful Dutch Reformed Church was destroyed in a fire in the late 1800’s and the congregation felt it was time to restore the temporary corrugated iron roof to its thatched form. But the Reverend Steenkamp persuaded the congregation that it was time to build a new church, as it would have been too expensive the replace the roof of the old clay building.
Mrs Charlotte van Wyk then sold 1000Morgen of land to the congregation and a new church was built. In order to persuade the government that Bowesdorp was not a suitable place for a village, the Reverend Steenkamp and his congregation stated to the government officials that Bowesdorp offered insufficient development possibilities and that the water available would be insufficient for the school hostel and school that were already partly erected.
So the partly completed school buildings, police station and prison were rebuilt in Kamieskroon. Soon shops followed and so did the residents. It is still worth a visit to the old Bowesdorp site to see the ruins of the old church.
