Senekal

Afrikaans name: Senekal

Senekal area

Photo © Johan van Zyl

Free State

The town of Senekal is situated in the middle of an important farming area in the Free State province. The region is a major producer of maize, beef, sunflowers and wheat.

Senekal was named after Commandant F.P. Senekal.

Although the town is small there are a number of attractions for visitors. One of these is called the "Ring-wall" which consists of a circle of petrified tree trunks around the Dutch Reformed Church building. These tree trunks have been dated to approximately 250 million years ago. The tree trunks were not found in this area. They were found near the Sand River and moved to their current location. The Dutch Reformed Church building in Van Riebeeck Street was built in the 1890's. There are also monuments to F.P. Senekal, after whom the town is named, the monument to celebrate 100 years of the towns existence and another to remember the Boer soldiers from the area who died in the Anglo-Boer War. There is also a monument to commemorate the Battle of Biddulphsberg.

Outdoor enthusiasts can visit the Biddulphsberg Mountain Resort and, a bit further away, the Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve.

Visitors to the Senekal area have a variety of accommodation options to choose from. These range from camping to B&B's to lodges.

Is it worth visiting Senekal?

References and further reading

Southern Africa from the Highway - Author: AA RSA - Published: 1991 - Page: 232

On Route - Explore South Africa region by region - 3rd edition - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 2014 - Page: 355

On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 1995 - Page: 242

Conollys Guide to Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Denis Conolly - Published: 1982 - Page: 335

Book of the Road - 4th edition - Author: MapStudio - Published: 2019 - Page: 144

Free State Info - Senekal

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