Originally from Johannesburg, the Manley family moved to Winterskloof, Hilton, at the end of 2001, when Mark Manley started work in Pietermaritzburg. Mark and his wife Lindy fell in love with The Knoll when they were scouting properties in the area and bought it. At that time, it had stood in a state of disrepair and dereliction for many years.
“There were sawmills on the front verandah and down in the stone barn, and there were just piles of rubbish and all that sort of stuff, and goats and cows in the main house, rotten floorboards, leaking roofs, and no electricity. It was chaos,” explained Chris, Mark’s son, who now runs the guesthouse and farm, “But my parents saw the potential of what it could be for a family home.” The family slowly built it up over the years, from living in one of the rooms to hosting friends from near and far. They eventually converted one of the outbuildings, now called Creamery Cottage, as the first available accommodation around 2005/2006. Several other accommodation suites followed suit from existing buildings on the farm, and soon the guesthouse started offering more, from music events, like MiTH (Music in the Hills) to weddings, and a restaurant from 2020-2024.
Did you know The Knoll Historic Guest Farm dates back to the 1830s? It had several owners over the centuries and served as a family home, school, hotel, country estate, and a hunting lodge. The original farm, Groenekloof, was owned by John Philip Zietsman, the Landros of the republic. To settle a debt, he divided up the farm and sold portions of it. The remaining 250 acres, including the farmhouse, was bought by John Ireland and renamed Bloomfield Height after his mother. At this time, it was a trading post and hotel for transport riders until 1898, the year John Ireland passed on.
The next owner was Mrs Augusta Boden, who lived there until 1925 and converted it into St Peters School from around 1915 to 1918. Mrs Boden continued to live there with her daughter Gwen and eventually moved to England. Somewhere during this time, the farm was named The Knoll.
David Hendrie was the next owner. He was originally from Scotland and immigrated to South Africa, Natal in 1902. He worked for the Natal Government Railways and was a prestigious railway engineer. Interestingly, during this time, Jan Smuts stayed at The Knoll on several occasions when he travelled via the White Train that would stop over at Hilton Station. Hendrie’s children reportedly lived on the farm and built a Scottish-style farmhouse named “Inverknoll”. The property had gone from owner to owner without much maintenance in-between and it got to the point where it was just used for the space to run a sawmill.
Thanks to the Manley Family, The Knoll and its history were revived, restored, and remade into a working home that continues to stand today. Each family member brings their skills and passions to The Knoll, contributing their expertise to keep it running smoothly and graciously, with visits from modern-day thinkers, politicians, and artists.
Before Chris became the general manager, he moved overseas for several years after varsity and returned in 2019 with his wife Melissa, who also grew up in the Midlands. They have two sons and are happily settled here. Chris runs the day-to-day aspects of The Knoll, including general maintenance, staffing, and events. Melissa is in charge of the marketing and social media, including helping with catering and recipe development for the events and functions.
Joshua Manley is a professional cricketer and lives overseas with his wife Abbi. He offers advice remotely on projects and strategies and gets involved in the farm whenever he visits. Megan Manley is a lawyer in Cape Town and she takes care of the legal aspects of The Knoll.
Chris’ parents still live on the property and are also involved. Lindy, who is now retired from teaching Zulu at Laddsworth Primary School, loves contributing to the maintenance and splendour of the gardens, including freshening up the rooms to make sure it’s spick and span for guests.
All family members are very involved with the decisions and directions the business takes, trying to find a brand balance of maintaining a down-to-earth, homely place for their guests, friends, and family while running a small business that satisfies needs, provides employment, and serves the community. They always focus on expanding their offerings and improving their guests’ experiences whether it’s upgrading their accommodations and facilities, upskilling their staff so they can have positive interactions and always be on the same page, or offering various events. While they no longer have a restaurant, in its place is a wedding and events venue, bar and basic food options, like sourdough pizza, Barn Burgers, butter chicken and more, all on offer for events like MiTH, dinner tribute shows, Friday sundowners, themed events, and private birthday parties.
The Knoll is like a home away from home for those who want to explore the Midlands and get a feel of what the countryside offers. Whether it’s a long-term stay or a day visit, there are activities available for everyone, from the exciting five-kilometre trail, enjoyed by walkers, runners, and mountain bikers, to the wide variety of bird life, the beautiful natural scenery, and so much more. Furthermore, guests can be transported back in time by having a historical stay at The Knoll, standing in the footsteps of those who came before.
