We received an email recently from “The Nottingham Road Hotel” (Notties Hotel), which is situated in the Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal and is approximately halfway between Gauteng and Margate. They have an exclusive accommodation special for bikers who are joining the 2019 South Coast Bike Fest in Margate (26th – 28th April 2019) and are looking to overnight stop on their journey to and from Gauteng. We thought we should share this information with you, as both the establishment and offer looks really decent.
The Notties hotel has a rich and interesting history which can be gleaned from visiting their excellent website. The following is a brief summary:
“The popular Notties Hotel, which is located in the village of ‘Nottingham Road’ on the R101 (south of Mooi River on the N3), celebrated its centenary anniversary a few years ago and is one of the most popular hotels in the ‘Midlands’ region. It was originally built in the mid 1880’s as a Railway hotel and was located close to the station at the tiny Nottingham Road settlement. The hotel soon became the centre of social activity for the area, which became increasingly popular as a holiday destination, with its fresh, cool air and lovely countryside.
The first white settlers in the Midlands were the Voortrekkers, but they began leaving the area when Britain annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia in 1843. The first British settlers in Nottingham Road were members of the King/Ellis family. They arrived in Natal in 1849, attracted by the Byrne Immigration Scheme, one of many schemes that tried to lure settlers to the largely uninhabited interior of KZN. Each adult male paid ten pounds, which covered the cost of the sea voyage from England to Durban and gave every man twenty acres of land. They were conned, of course and many found their allotments were infertile and totally unsuitable for farming, leaving them the choice of returning home to England or purchasing better land for themselves.
Today, Nottingham Road is considered the hub of the KZN Midlands. The hotel, the village, its farmers’ hall, the shops of The Junction and the residential success story of Gowrie Village, Gowrie Farm and the superb Gowrie Golf Course, create a cohesive centre that draws people to the area. The Midlands Meander as well as upmarket spas, such as Fordoun and Brookdale, bring leisure travellers for both day-trips and longer stays. Adventure activities are also a draw card for the area, with good motorcycling and pedal cycling routes, equestrian events, fishing, shooting and high action past times such as the Karkloof Canopy Tours nearby.
Notties Hotel is the perfect landmark destination to break a trip between Johannesburg and Durban (especially for rugby and other sporting events) and is convenient for travellers intending to explore the mountain kingdom of Lesotho”.
Letter we received from Patricia Bester (Pixie) at Notties Hotel
“If you are joining the South Coast Bike Fest at the end of April, and are travelling down from Gauteng to Margate, we here at the Legendary Notties Hotel would love to have you stop over on your way to Margate and spend a night or two with us. We have an exclusive accommodation special for you, at R650.00/pp sharing rate (Bed and Breakfast) or R750.00/pp single rate (Bed and Breakfast)”.
For any queries please feel free to contact us on 0332666151 / 0826101286, or drop us an email at: [email protected].
We hope to see you then!
With many thanks and kindest regards,
Pixie”.
Patricia Bester
Front Office Manager
Nottingham Road Hotel
033 266 6151 | 082 610 1286
www.nottieshotel.co.za | [email protected]
