A mere four hours from Johannesburg and two hours from Durban, deep in the heart of the breathtaking Natal Midlands, rests Bellwood.

Accommodation

We offer seven comfortable, fully equipped self-catering cottages. Cypress - a family cottage accommodating six people. Yellowwood - a secluded 'honeymoon' cottage. Hadeda, Heron, Kingfisher, Spurwing and Guinea Fowl are the five cottages on the dam. All dam cottages have four or five private double rooms and a cosy loft accommodating up to five people. Bellwood represents the best you can find in farm accommodation within tranquil surroundings.

All the cottages have fireplaces, bedding, electric blankets, a fridge, stove and microwave oven, a TV and braai / barbeque facilities. All cottages on the dam have the "Hotel" DSTV bouquet.

Weddings

Our wedding venue comprises of The Old Barn Chapel and Reception hall.

The Chapel is situated just outside the Bellwood stables, about 1/2 kilometre from the Reception Hall. Seating is provided for up to 170 guests on comfortable Cedar wood benches. Lighting is provided by candles to provide the appropriate atmosphere as well as by dimmable lights in overhead chandeliers. The interior can be set up for either religious or civil ceremonies. Ample parking is provided and a lawned area is set aside for pre/post ceremony teas or drinks. The surrounds provide a number of excellent settings for your wedding photographs.

The Reception Hall, overlooking a large dam can seat up to 250 guests. You are able to design your own table layouts, decor and arrange the catering, photographer, music etc. The hall is equipped with a large central fireplace, is fully air-conditioned (cooling or heating) and has all the facilities for the caterers and bar service. A covered verandah and lawned area allows your guests to enjoy the farm ambience in beautiful surroundings which also provides an ideal backdrop for your wedding photographs.

We provide the complete wedding package (chapel, hall, cottages and surrounding area) and allow you to design and organise the details (catering, photographer, music etc.). Included in the cost of the wedding package is two nights' accommodation for you and your guests in five cottages next to the dam and wedding venue. The cottages are provided on a self-catering basis and can accommodate up to a total of sixty people.

Conferences

Put aside your day to day problems and ensure a successful outcome for your conference, Bellwood provides an excellent Conference venue. Situated on a working stud farm, the venue overlooks a well-stocked trout dam in the rolling hills of KwaZulu Natal.

Your Conference will benefit from the 'get away from the office' peaceful surroundings. One day or longer conferences can be catered for in our venue which can be configured in size to suit the required number of delegates. Adjacent to the venue are five cottages and a further two cottages, near the main house, can also be booked. Conferences can only be held on weekdays. Weekend conferences can be booked provided the five dam cottages are also booked.

Attractions and Activities

Bellwood is on a 585-acre stud farm with some of the most impressive walks and wide-open spaces that KwaZulu Natal has to offer. Children are welcome! Farm life provides considerable entertainment with an abundance of farmyard animals and 'goings-on' to keep them out of mischief.

A two and a half kilometre ramble brings you to the quaint village of Nottingham Road which has some of the oldest pubs in the province and forms a central part of the famous arts and crafts Midlands Meander. For those with a sporting inclination, tennis and golfing facilities can be pre-arranged.

Fishing

A tranquil country retreat is not all that we have to offer! On the farm, a 'cast' away from the cottages are two dams, one a spacious 16 acres and the other a smaller five acres in size. The larger dam is 10 metres deep at the wall and is liberally stocked with rainbow trout, while the smaller dam is filled with both rainbow and brown trout. Our aim is to satisfy the keen fisherman with the challenge of catching trout up to 4 kilograms in weight. Fishing is reserved for our resident guests only.

The larger dam also sports five rowing boats. The farm is very close to a well-equipped fly fishing shop and Nottingham Road village boasts a local butcher who is available to smoke all your catches. Pre booked trout fishing lessons and hiring of rods available on request.

Notes

Should guests wish to invite friends, prior permission must be obtained from Management. Subject to the number of guests, a levy per person will be charged. No pets are allowed. An initial supply of wood and coal for the inside fireplace is provided. Further supplies will be for guest's own account. No smoking is allowed in any of the cottages.

Memberships:

• Members of Nottingham Road Tourism