Slave bell - Lourensford Wine Estate

A throwback several centuries; this bell was used to summon slaves to and from work and doubtless many other things besides.

It remains in place today to remind us of those times.

Lourensford sits at the head of the Helderberg valley, above Somserset West. As far as I can recall, the valley was originally settled by Simon van der Stel in the late 1650s and has been a wine growing centre ever since.

Across the ridge behind the winery is Stellenbosch, another of South Africa's great wine treasures.

Leica D-LUX 3