THEN & NOW
THE OLD MILL, PORT ALFRED
Every town has its landmarks. In Port Alfred, “the big square block on the side of the river on your way to the beach”, also known as the Old Mill, is precisely that.
Perched on the western bank of the Kowie River, the mill was built by William Cock to Algoa Bay in May 1820. From there, his business exploits led him to Cape Town and to Grahamstown (now Makhanda). He built a home for his family in Port Frances, which was renamed Port Alfred in 1860. (Funny story: The town’s name was changed to honour Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Alfred, who was meant to visit that year – he didn’t pitch.)
