Cradock property, a small town in the Eastern Cape is very rural in nature. Houses, farms and smallholdings for sale and to rent can be found in Cradock. Properties in Cradock. are mainly residential but commercial property can also be found.

At the end of the fourth frontier war between the Xhosa tribe and white settlers, Sir John Cradock, Governor of the Cape, thought there was a need for two new frontier strongholds. He built Grahamstown in the east and Cradock in the northeast. The town of Cradock was founded on the banks of the Great Fish River in 1812. The original farm homestead was converted into a jail and other official buildings were added as the need arose. The original Dutch Reformed Church, which dominates the town, was built as a duplicate of St Martins-in-the-field in London. The architectural style was apparently chosen as an antidote to the homesickness suffered by the Minister's wife who came from London. The consecration ceremony of the church was delayed by an hour as the builder refused to hand over the keys to the church until he was paid in full. A hat was hurriedly passed around and the money raised with pledges and notes. Today the town is a centre for production of wool, mohair, beef, lucerne, dairy and fruit. The hot sulphur springs have been developed into a resort frequented by people with rheumatism and similar disabilities. The town itself is a goldmine of national monuments, interesting sights and friendly people.

The Eastern Frontier of the early 1800’s (1770 – 1814) was the meeting of two cultures, the Boer and the Xhosa, both of whom looked upon cattle as their wealth. They both coveted the same grazing area. Earlier the Eastern trek of the Boers was through the arid areas of the Cape, and Graaff Reinett was founded as the Fourth Drostdy in 1786.

It was in 1814 that Sir John Cradock decided to build a series of forts along the lower Fish River and all the way up to the Cradock to try to contain the Xhosa people to the East of the Fish River which had been proclaimed the boundary by the Government of the Cape.

Cradock although intended as a fort never saw conflict. The Xhosas in their Western migration, were nearer the lower part of the Great Fish River rather than its upper reaches.

Lord Charles Somerset succeeded Sir John Cradock and decided to invite the 1820 settlers to South Africa to act as a buffer between the Xhosa and the rest of the Cape Colony.

In 1848 Thomas Baines, the explorer and painter passed through Cradock and said that it had a population of about 9000 persons (4300 whites and 4490 coloureds). He was impressed with the great buildings, of both English and Dutch architecture.

Die Tuishuise capture the period of Thomas Baines’s visit as they were built circa 1840 – 1870 in both English and Dutch style, and housed the artisans, namely harness makers and wainwrights who made a living from the wagons and oxen and horses that passed through to the Great Northern line.

As civilization caught up with Cradock first the Railway line in 1881 and then the motor car in 1908 – 1920 the skill of the blacksmiths, the farriers and the harness makers became less and less in demand. Poverty began to descend on the inhabitants of Market Street. This poverty resulted in that less and less money became available to modernise homes, therefore there are few streets in South Africa that can boast about houses that have stood unaltered for a hundred years.

Today Cradock is the capital of the Cape Midlands and is one of the thriving rural towns. Prosperity has come with the ability of the farmer to utilize the indigenous flora such as Karoo Bushes to produce of the best wool and mohair and to impart that typical Karoo flavour to the mutton.

The permanent water from the Orange River has given continuity that the other rural areas lack, in that the devastating drought in made less severe by the lucerne and maize that is grown and that the farmers are able to produce winter grazin ??? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ??????? ??????????? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ????????? ?????????????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ?†???? ????? ??? ??????? ???????? ???? ??? ? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??????????? ?? ?????? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ????????? ?? ??? ???????? ? ??????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??????????? ???????????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??????????? ?? ??? ?????????????? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ? ????? ?????? ?????????????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ? ???????? ????? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?? ? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??????????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ????????????????????????? ??? ? ??????? ???????? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ??????????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????????? ???? ? ?????????????????? ???????? ?? ?????????????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ?????????????? ??? ??? ??????????? ?????????? ??? ??? ???????????? ???????? ????? ?????????????? ?? ????? ???? ?†???? ??? ??? ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ????????