About Our Family Venture

During 1948 the Queen of England, then the Princess Elizabeth accompanied by her Parents during their royal tour of South Africa, visited the farm, then owned at the time by Athol Chapman.
The entourage had stopped off at the Lions River railway station and the Royal Family rode up to the farm by horse and cart. Hence our existing district road D369 got the name Princess Drive.
The fig tree at the main house under which she had lunch is still standing today.
Percy and Jenny Shaw purchased the farm in 1988.

In the early 1940s athol Chapman built a weir on the Lions River, 500 metres up from the present shop. He then channeled the water along a open furrow into the existing shed, which currently drives a water turbine.
This turbine was used to run a small irrigation scheme to water his pastures. It also runs a small maize mail. The main objective of the turbine was to generate electricity.

The turbine (still present today) generated enough electricity for the farm house.


The Lions River Trading Post has been in existence since 1948 and is located on the Midlands Meander Kwa Zulu Natal.
Percy Jenny Shaw started the business that boarders on a small running stream in an old barn that was the original farm.

The Trading Post has a wide and varied range of stock, period furniture, from 1650 oak , Georgian mahogany, Victorian and Edwardian pieces, antique and Modern Hallmarked silver, jewellery, ceramics, glass, Eastern collectables, weapons and a selection of International and South African art.

If you are a collector of specific antiques or are looking for a particular piece, please let us know, we can try and locate the item for you.