Belvidere Holy Trinity Church, Knysna

Over the years it has become a habit to visit the Belvidere Church in Knysna during short holiday breaks and this blog article dedicated to this special Church.

The Belvidere Holy Trinity is small and modeled on the Norman churches of the 11th and 12th centuries and built of locally mined sandstone and stinkwood beams.  

Thomas Henry Duthie was the founder of the village of Belvidere and he married Caroline, the daughter of George Rex and they were instrumental in the building of this historical little Church. The gardens are well kept and the Church sits in the middle of an old stone wall.  Graves of the founders of Knysna families, Duthie, Rex and Thesen are dotted all over.

Another interesting snippet regarding the building of the Church is that for the first six months in 1851 stonemasons blasted stone at a quarry somewhere and brought the stone to the site. The stonework was completed by the middle of 1852 and the roof started.  In 1853 the Church was opened for service. However the consecration had to be delayed until 5 October 1855 when the Bishop came to Knysna for a visit.  One of the stained glass windows is dedicated to Augusta Vera Duthie and another to William Henry Moore Duthie and Alfred Gorge Duthie, granddaughter and grandsons of Thomas Duthie.  

The Church is open for viewing and still in use on Sundays for the local community of Belvidere.  If ever in Knysna and you need a quiet place to reflect - you won't be disappointed.  Let the photo's tell the story.

'Enter though who are weary'

A glimpse past the dogrose

Pride of Madeira standing watch

A glimpse through the gate

The Indian Hawthorn lining the pathway

A plaque inside the Church

Inside the Church

Behind the altar

A prayer book at the entrance to the altar

I left a prayer for my family and my friend Sonja

Stay. Linger. Breathe.

Be restored

It was so quiet and peaceful

Augusta Vera Duthie = granddaughter of the founder

In loving memory of .... Thesen

Moss that lingered and never left

On the other side were a few very small tombstones.  Possibly children.

I left a flower.

Bougainvillea  bursting in colour

Near the entrance = an enormous wooden cross 

A stroll past the Old Rectory is always part of my visit and part of me can imagine myself living here in this tranquil place, far from the maddening crowd.

The Old Rectory

Yep, I'll be able to manage this garden 

The Old Rectory

A dogrose blooming generously over a wooden wall

The Indian Hawthorn bloomed generously here too.  

A closer peep over the wall at the generously blooming Hawthorn

The older homes were my favourite

My stroll ended back at the Church.

A pile of stones at the foot of the cross have grown since my last visit.  I added one too.

You can read more about Belvidere's history here .

Map to Church here

"Pause as though enter, Traveller, and bethink thee

How Holy and yet how homelike is this place

Time that though humbly spends here shall link thee

with men unknown who once were of thy race."