Doing time in Willowmore

[caption id="attachment_223301" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oleg and Karen Dyatschenko spent countless hours on restoration and researching the history of their unique building Pictures: Salvelio Meyer[/caption]

Being behind bars never felt this good, writes Louise Liebenberg after a weekend in unusual quarters.

The “sleepy” Karoo town of Willowmore is sleepy no more. Still a mainstay of farming in the Eastern Cape, this enterprising community has in recent years embraced the benefits of tourism, registering increasing interest from those eager to travel unfamiliar roads so they might discover some of the fascinating stories that make our once under-rated province so special.

Besides its quaint shops and cafes, interesting old buildings and welcoming residents, another good reason to visit this part of the world is that Willowmore is one of the gateways to the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site which attracts visitors from around the globe.

Nowadays you’ll also find plenty of places to stay, the most unique of which must undoubtedly be The Old Jail in Blignaut Street.

For this media visit my husband, Salvelio, and I drove via Steytlerville and then along the stretch of cement road linking it to Willowmore – a journey just two hours and 45 minutes from the Bay. The unusual, single-lane cement strip in itself makes for a fun adventure and is much favoured by those seeking a road trip with a difference.

Willowmore’s imposing 1880s stone jail, which still housed a few prisoners until the 1950s, was eventually sold to a private owner and then changed hands a few more times.It stood empty for a good many years and, by 2010, was near-derelict and in real danger of going to irreparable ruin.

But, thankfully, along came a very determined, globe-trotting couple with a deep-rooted love of the Karoo. Karen and Oleg Dyatschenko bought it from a friend after they saw the potential of this incredible fortress situated on a vast property.

They immediately signed up for the challenging (“some would say crazy”, Karen quipped) task of not only landscaping the grounds and restoring the building, but ingeniously re-purposing it as comfortable, up-market accommodation.

Karen, whose parents were German, grew up in South Africa but spent 15 years living in Germany, where she met Oleg, a Ukrainian from Kiev. The two returned to South Africa, buying a home in Plett before boredom sent them over the mountain and into the Karoo which fuelled their imagination and set a new love affair in motion.

But magnificent as this harsh and arid landscape is, taming it is never easy. Karen still shudders when she recalls the rats and bats they had to contend with in the beginning, and the weeds that covered every inch of the grounds.

[caption id="attachment_223302" align="aligncenter" width="300"] There's a sparkling pool in what used to be the labour courtyard[/caption]

Undaunted, they took charge of every aspect of the property’s transformation, to the great amazement of the locals. Several parts of the structure required rebuilding and of proper plumbing there was no sign. “The entire building had to be rewired,” Oleg remembered.

Much of the work they were forced to do themselves, with some help from local labour, given how difficult it would prove to entice service providers from big cities some distance away.

Oleg took on the role of gardener and it was only then that they discovered a rather daunting feature of their new property.

“The prison was built on rock so inmates could not dig their way out,” Karen said. “For every single tree and shrub we planted – more than 500 in all – we had to use a jack-hammer to dig a one-metre by one-metre hole!” Many tons of compost had to be trucked in to give the plants a fighting chance in such punishing conditions.

Today, looking at the cypresses, roses and irises that characterise the gardens, you would never guess the sheer amount of toil involved. The garden with its impressive central fountain on the front lawn is a sanctuary attracting an abundance of birdlife; benches, tables and chairs have been positioned in pleasing, idyllic little spots where you can slough off all your cares.

[caption id="attachment_223298" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Art and antiques adorn the gallery, breakfast and reception area[/caption]

Karen and Oleg share a love of art and antiques, and scoured antique shops across the country for one-of-a-kind pieces. The large, curved table in the art gallery and reception area was once a courtroom jury table, but now seems made for its “new” home. Oleg has a weakness for antique safes and these have been cleverly re-purposed as bedside tables in some rooms. There are three suites at The Old Jail, each with a private courtyard, while the central section of the building which historically housed police officers and wardens is now the Dyatschenkos’ private quarters.

The solid wooden door to the courtyard of the former women’s cells is the only one without a peephole, which goes to show that female prisoners were afforded some respect. The huge, original cement bath was another privilege.

We had a very restful stay in the Awaiting Trial section. Karen and Oleg had cleverly removed the wall between the two cells to make one much larger bedroom, also with its own private courtyard.

Every courtyard had to be filled in to bring it up to the floor level of the rooms, since the courtyards were originally several feet deeper so prisoners couldn’t climb their way out, the couple said. I confess thoughts of escape were hard to conjure up as we soaked up the early spring sunshine while reclining on comfy loungers.

[caption id="attachment_223296" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A sumptuous bedroom in the former awaiting trial cells[/caption]

Our room was tastefully decorated and we slept soundly in our king-size bed after listening to our gracious hosts’ entertaining tales and taking in the gorgeous country air.

The hospital “cell” has also been masterfully transformed, the original fireplace that once warmed sick prisoners during freezing Karoo winters still very much a feature.

The Hospital Room has an en-suite bathroom with free-standing Victorian-style bath and pretty, black-and-white checkerboard floor.

All the rooms have air-conditioning – a boon when the Karoo reveals its extremes at the height of summer and winter. There’s also a dungeon which Oleg has turned into his private wine cellar – and the temperature couldn’t be more optimal.

The former hard labour courtyard is where guests can hang out beside a large, sparkling pool. And the old stables have been converted into self-catering suites for families, also quaintly furnished and popular with the local market.

The Willowmore project took them two years to complete, opening in 2012, and Karen and Oleg then bought the historic blacksmiths’ buildings in Graaff-Reinet in 2015, similarly transforming it into superb self-catering accommodation called Alte Schmiede (Old Forge).

• Contact the Old Jail on 076-792-0622 or send an e-mail to karen@theoldjail.co.za