Nottingham Road – a slice of English countryside with a South African flavour

NNottingham Road is about a 40-minute drive from Pietermaritzburg – the capital of KwaZulu-Natal – and an hour-and-a-half away from Durban. It is also one of the closest towns to the Drakensberg mountain range and uKhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Site.

“Notties”, as locals refer to their town, boasts beautiful year-round weather, with cold mountain streams tempering hot summers and winter snow luring visitors to fireside getaways between May and July.

Economically, the town and surrounds are reliant on income from dairy farming, stud farming, fly-fishing, beer brewing, wine production, local artists and crafters, spas, fine-dining destinations, cheese makers, invigorating outdoor recreation, adrenaline-boosting adventure sports, historical landmarks, wildlife conservation, and the tourist appeal of its country atmosphere.

The popularity of the town, which also happens to be the heart of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Meander arts-and-crafts route, has spawned a wide choice of accommodation for overnight visits and longer holidays.

CCaversham Mill on the Meander route

From the famous Nottingham Road Hotel, built in the 1800s, to Notts Cottage, Watkins Backpackers, Thatchings Guest House, Kwa Jabu, Glen Afton Country House, Fourdoun Hotel and Spa, self-catering at Bourne View and a host of other choices, all budgets are catered for.

Golfers have a selection of five courses within 45 minutes’ drive of the town, including a challenging course in the town itself.

The area is also home to a few of the country’s top private schools, including Michaelhouse and Clifton Prep.

Annual events hosted in the region include one of the world’s biggest open-water swimming events, the Midmar Mile in February; the Wildfly corporate fly-fishing challenge in June; the Highland Games at Fort Nottingham in August; and various equestrian events.

Nottingham also boasts its own brewery, the Nottingham Road Brewing Company, which produces four distinctive brews.

Fine weather and stunning scenery, and its convenient position between the commercial hubs of Durban and Johannesburg, have helped make Nottingham Road a choice destination for conferences and weddings.