St Ives Accommodation

Prior to the 1800s the Midlands of Natal was used by the Zulu royal as a hunting reserve which was abundant with elephant and lion. The last lion to be killed in the whole district was shot in a deep gulley on St Ives Hill, and the shooting of this lion resulted in the area, looking down onto the river below, to be called Lions River. The name St Ives originates from the birthplace of John Day, who was born at St Ives, Huntingdon shire in England and purchased the farm from the Boer Settlers in 1862. The first Durban to Johannesburg railway line ran directly through St Ives and reached Johannesburg in 1893.

St Ives was established as a horse stud in the early 1900s and was a renowned nursery for top thoroughbreds including the horse legacy winner of the July handicap in 1933. ridden by Ernest Tinker Lariviere, the betting stood at 13 to 2 and won William Raw, the owner of St Ives at the time 5000 pounds. Relax under a thatch gazebo with either an elaborate picnic basket or braai pack supplied from our restaurant, which is fully catered for including linen, crockery, ice bucket, cool box, glassware, charcoal and of course the finest food, wine or other beverages, making for a hassle free picnic or braai. A comprehensive A La Carte menu is offered in our restaurant.