Travel back in time at No7 Castle Hill
WHETHER you’re a history-lover, museum crawler or simply a proud Port Elizabethan, the No 7 Castle Hill museum in the historical heart of the city is the perfect place to step back into an earlier era.
It was built in the late 1820s by an Irish clergyman, Reverend Francis McCleland, who bought the land the property stands on for just over three pounds.
No 7 is among the oldest house in Port Elizabeth and is still true to its original form with only regular maintenance performed. Despite being nearly 200 years old, No 7 never underwent any major building renovations.
All furniture is from the same era and was donated by the community over the years to preserve the historic nature of the house. There are, however, a few original pieces left from the house’s first residents.
A popular feature for children is the interactive doll-room where they get the opportunity to play with era-specific paper dolls.
The doll-room also features an exhibition of historic dollhouses and toys once played with by children of the Victorian era. No 7 even has its own hair-raising ghost story! According to several visitor accounts there is a manifestation of a woman walking the corridors of the house. .
“Although operating my ghost tours for 20 years I have never seen her myself,” Haunted Walk tour guide Rose Trehaeven said. “However the visitors who have seen her reported that she was holding a candle and wearing a long maroon dress with golden hair falling down her back.”
“Apparently the lady in the red dress would appear in a bedroom, walk down the upstairs hallway and disappear in the next room,” Trehaeven said.
According to Trehaeven some visitors would also report strange smells coming out of nowhere.
Though the house itself is from an earlier era its displays have a strong Victorian focus, including a collection of pipes and other fascinating nicknacks so favoured by people in Victorian times.
Entry to No 7 Castle Hill, well worth a visit the entire family, is extremely reasonably priced as follows: Adults R10; Children aged 3 to 15: R5 Under 3 years: Free of charge. They are not open on public holidays. For more information, call (041) 582-2515.