Ou Tolbrug

With the discovery of the first diamond in Hopetown district in 1866 diamond fever spread throughout Southern Africa. With their ox-wagons and mule carts shopkeepers, traders, clerks, and farmers headed for the Diamond fields. Crossing the Orange River was a problem, so the wagon bridge was built. And it is still in use today.

The wagon bridge was blown up by British soldiers encamped at the nearby Toll House, which is amazingly, still occupied today. There had been rumours of a large Boer force on its way, for several days. When the soldiers saw a large cloud of dust on the horizon, they hastily blew up the bridge with dynamite. About an hour later, when the dust came nearer and its cause became visible, some very red-faced soldiers observed a large herd of cattle being driven by their herder.