The historic little town of Peddie lies 50 km south-west of Bisho, on the Grahamstown road. In 1835, during the Sixth Frontier War, a fort was built at this spot and named after Colonel John Peddie of the Seaforth Highlanders. A village developed around the fort, which was built to protect the British and their allies, the Mfengo Tribe, against the indigenous Xhosa tribes. A road through the nearby Double Drift Game Reserve, now part of the Great Fish River Complex, links Peddie with the town of Alice.
History And Architecture
Anglican Rectory: The building was once used as a military hospital and mortuary during the Frontier Wars. The Church itself was formerly part of the original earthwork fort.
Cavalry and Infantry Barracks: The old cavalry barracks is now the residence of the magistrate of the town and the old infantry barracks have been converted into the town’s courthouse.
Resettlement Memorial: A bronze plaque on a milkwood tree commemorates the resettlement of the Xhosa tribe, the Mfengo, who cooperated with the British during all nine Frontier Wars. Each year, on May 14, Mfingo descendants visit this site, honoring their ancestors.
Watchtower: The old watchtower on its hilltop was built in 1841, just in time to withstand a 4 000-strong Xhosa attack.