WELCOME TO LUMLEY’S PLACE

LUMLEY’S PLACE is an indigenous South African family operated Guesthouse. It is the brain child of husband and wife duo, Peter and Benita.

Both of them are born in this valley, Benita Williams in Johannesdal and Peter Cyster, in Pniël, which is also a former mission station.

Peter and Benita and their children share a passion for the rich history, the friendly people and beauty and peaceful surroundings which makes one feel for a moment you stepped into a forgotten and bygone era.

LUMLEY’S PLACE is a first generation tourism business and just as Pniel is no ordinary country town , as at times you may feel that you have stepped out of a H. G Wells novel.

The name Pniël comes from The Bible, taken from Genesis 32, 30 although the name is documented as Peniel “The Face of God” and it speaks of Jacob’s encounter with the angel. People here believe that to live in Pniël is like to see The Face of God every day. The rich history of the town dates back to 1843 which saw the birth of this community at the foot of Simonsberg

Villagers of Johannesdal and Pniël are part descendants from South Africa’s first people, The Khoi and freed slaves from across the world.

Come take some time to breath in the fresh village air, no pollution as you gaze onto our spectacular mountains.

Simonsberg mountain from the breakfast porch or sipping tea facing Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek and Jonkershoek mountains. Our guesthouse is a first generation black female owned 4-star accommodation where we serve breakfast daily with freshly baked breads and other time honoured traditions.

Some of those traditions are potjiekos , however, there are other time honoured traditions like “Snoekbraai” which is a divine delicacy in The Boland. At Lumley’s Place and every other local home in Johannesdal or Pniël you can enjoy “Snoek & Patat” which is fish only found in the Western Cape and sweet potato baked in coals or the oven.

experiences

We cater for a wide variety of experiences ranging from hands-on cooking, bread baking, family vacations, special events such as weddings, small conferences and business events as well as anyone who is looking to just break away from the hustle and bustle of the city life to a place of harmonious peace and tranquility. Lumley’s Place is perfect for any family looking for a relaxing holiday venue. Our establishment also popular breakaway writers retreat, overnight and dinner bed and breakfast experience for Pilgrimage of Hope participants. We are surrounded by popular wine farms that boasts cycling paths and easy mountain walking paths. Our village of Pniël offers rich cultural walking and driving tours by knowledgeable local tour guides as well as a visit to our museum is well advised. Lately we have embarked on e-bikes cycling tours joining from Pniël to Kylemore and experience all 4 small towns connecting via the Dwarsriver that is running through all these small towns. In February each year our local PECT hosts the annual Adam Small literary Festival.

Poetry & writers events

We host intimate gatherings which seats up 25 people comfortably in lecture style or up till 45 people seated around a table – serving in-house meals.

Weddings

Nestled among the trees with spectacular views is a venue fit for any King and Queens intimate wedding which will never be forgotten.

Special Events

Our flexibility is only matched by our supreme hospitality. To bring your event to life please contact us for more details.

Affordable getaways

For those no nonsense quick and easy getaways we have the perfect affordable options to make the entire family smile.

First Class Accommodation

Relax in one of our four-star rated bedrooms. Our sincere hospitality comes standard with each room. We hope you enjoy your stay.

ABOUT LUMLEYS PLACE

“We were put on mother earth

to serve one another ”

Driven by this belief Benita and Peter welcomed their first guests to Lumley’s Place Guesthouse in December of 2008.

The Cysters’ and their love for people and indeed socializing, culinary cuisine, good wine and their pride in their valley were instrumental in their decision to build Lumley’s Place. It was furthermore part of their personal quest to leave a legacy by exposing fellow South Africans and the World at large to one of the most beautiful mission communities in the world. Benita and Peter have some handy experience which stems down from generations of the family’s passion for cooking for their big families ,their gatherings and community bazaars , etc. Nowadays our children Kelly, Reeve and his wife Calley and Pierz also pitch in to reach the younger generation.

Hard work, good moral values and education and caring for your neighbour, have always been key elements to the success of all in the villages of Johannesdal and Pniël. With that said we club our tips or service fee to assist some students in the valley as well as fellow local entrepreneurs.

One can however not talk about Lumley’s Place without talking about Lumley’s Farm and that part of the farm Lumley’s (Johannesdal) plots were bought by The Lodge called P.O.S.V (Pniel Onderlinge Samewerking Vereeniging). It is on one such plot that this architectural masterpiece that would have put a smile on the face of Frank Lloyd Wright was erected.

Much care was taken by the Cysters in utilizing the elevation and to create and design a structure that is not only beautiful to photograph from all angles inside or out, but also something that leaves a memorable impression on those who come through its doors as guests and visitors. This care can be seen in every bit of detail from the liberal use of glass to utilize natural light during the day and create a most spectacular effect at night to the color of the building which compliments rather than shouts. All curtains were made in-house to remind us of using our gifts. Consider for a moment interior design and decorations with its sleepers on the staircase and its pioneer styled fireplace in the breakfast area to its ultra modern banisters and plush duvets and textured paints with every room having an unique identity.

In short, no expense was spared to provide guests with private exclusivity and only the ultimate in absolute comfort

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"Experience a truly peaceful valley rich culture"

reserve your room

Choose from our four spectacularly comfortable rooms, each with their own unique touch and amenities to suite your basic needs.

Make a Booking

Kliphuis

King size bed or two single beds, en-suite bathroom & shower. Under floor heating, air conditioner and ceiling fan. Open view TV Ground floor

Silvermine

Double bed, en-suite shower, under floor heating. Ceiling fan and cool only air conditioner. Situated on ground floor. Open view TV Intimate small room with and outdoor under roof open plan kitchenette

Blue Gecko

King or twin bed, en-suite shower, bathroom heater. Situated on first floor. Private access to balcony ,pool and Simonsberg mountain view Bring along your DSTV or Netflix details to use on the smart tv in your room.

Peerboom

King size bed or 2 single beds, en-suite bathroom & shower, bathroom heater. Ceiling fan, wall mounted heater. Situated on the first floor. Groot Drakenstein mountain view Please bring along your DSTV or Netflix details to access our smart tv entertainment

"At Lumley's Place we make sure that all our guests feel at home."

experiences captured

Take a look at a few of our best gallery photos below or click on the “view full gallery” button to see our full gallery.s.

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Guest Testimonials

A very welcome stay

“Thank you so much to the Lumley’s Place Team for looking after us so well! We were treated (and felt like) family, and I was sad to say goodbye. These are very special people, who also took great care of our 2 year old for us while we were at a wedding. They absolutely want their guests to have the best stay possible and work very hard at keeping their business as successful as it is. Well done and thank you once again.”

- Nicky Tagg

Lovely Lumleys

“Lumleys Place is like a home away from home and was perfect for our needs. Some good Cape hospitality that will warm your heart.”

- Helen Desbois

Wonderful Hospitality

“The beautiful and spacious establishment with the home away from home feeling is unforgettable. What impressed me most was the attention to detail.”

- Sabrina Sasman

A pleasant surprise

“We loved the cozy vibe of the place. You feel at home, and in great part because of the warmth of the staff. Is is a hidden gem!”

- Sandro Briff

Blessings Indeed

“Never before have we experienced such warmth & generosity from the owners of a guesthouse. The owner has such a magnificent eye for detail.”

- Karen V

activities in dwarsrivier- and banhoek valley

“In such a natural and beautiful valley, there is so much to do for everyone. From romantic honeymoons to family getaways, there’s something for anyone. We enjoy assisting our guests in guiding them to all hidden gems in the valley. We love sharing our cultural heritage

Wine Farms in the Valley

Guests are invited to enjoy all the surrounding award winning wine farms, Bartinney, Boschendal, Thelema, Molenvliet, Zorgvliet, Le Pommier, Alluvia, Clouds, Delaire Graff, Solms-Delta, Camberley and Alleè Bleue has to offer, bio-friendly food experiences and more.

Bikes & Wine

MTB and fun cycling and cycling tours around the Banhoek Conservancy and the Dwarsriver valley in Cape Winelands leads to cycling from Boschendal wine estate at the lowest part all the way via each wine estate to the other – includes Bartinney, Clouds, Tokara, Thelema, historic Bethlehem ,Zorgvliet,etc which is a healthy, fun and green option. Be sure to contact the local wine farms and Trailforks to enquire about access and their packages.

KLIPHUIS now lumley’s place

Kliphuis , that’s how everyone called our very first home we grew up in. It was built in the late 1800’s from massive rocks and cement. Dad, Solly, bought the house in this aged state from the POSV (Pniël’s first medical aid and investment company) and our mom Sarah, made it our home. Our home had 1 main bedroom with a fireplace , an extra large bedroom in which all 5 of my siblings shared, a large lounge dining area and a kitchen and a yard fit for animals and kids alike. The picture above boasts a huge money plant at the entrance a home of love.

JOIN THE LOCALS

Many of the locals from Pniël and Johannesdal has a passion for walking the mountain.

Join in the fun and hook up with a few locals whom over the years has many a tale to tell from family heritage to a certain plant with medicinal values, or just a sharing of village good laughter. We also gather weekly at Pniel Congregational church for services 7h00 and 10h00. A few other annual events: Adam Small Festive end of February, Church Bazaar in April/March, Flower Festival in Sept, Heritage Day festivities,01Dec International Freedom of Slavery commemoration Day and a few others

Kids Experiences

Dwarsrivervalley and surrounds – spoilt for choices from playparks, kids walk abouts, baby croc cuddles, cycling, wood playpark to catch and release fishing, gardening adventures….etc the valley is their oyster. Boschendal and Babylonstoren are mecca for children activities true authentic experiences to explore