Shiwa Ngandu

Our harrowing night drive in the bush (see the previous story) was well worth the effort. We spent a delightful two nights camping at the Kapishya Hot Springs. We had chosen this place to stay so that we could visit nearby Shiwa Ngandu, a place described by The Magic of Zambia as “perhaps one of the most startling sights in the whole country of Zambia: a rambling English country manor overlooking a shimmering lake in the middle of the African Bush.”

Christina Lamb wrote a fascinating book about the house at Shiwa Ngandu and the eccentric English gentleman who poured his life into building it. David and I had read The Africa House and couldn’t wait to see the actual Shiwa Ngandu.

Stewart Gore-Brown was a young British colonial officer working on demarcating the border between Rhodesia and the Belgian Congo in 1914. His work led him to discover a place called Shiwa Ngandu, or Lake of the Royal Crocodiles. Gore-Brown bought the lake and the nearby land from the local chief and spent the rest of his life building and maintaining an English country manor and estate.

A rich aunt in England supplied much of the funding necessary to bring building material, furniture, household goods, and supplies into the remote area. The house was completed in 1932, and for many years Gore-Brown entertained guests in British grandeur.

After his death in 1967, his daughter and son-in-law struggled to maintain the estate. They also campaigned against poaching the nearby North Luangwa Game Park. It is suspected that their anti-poaching stance led to their mysterious murders in 1992.

The house was empty for a few years and quickly fell into disrepair. Now Charles, Gore-Brown’s grandson, and his wife Jo have restored the house and opened it to the public as an inn and also for guided tours. We spent a fascinating morning exploring the old house and hiking up a hill to view Gore-Brown’s grave and get spectacular view of the lake.

Charles and Jo live in the old house and have a prosperous farm operation raising cattle, sheep, and African game. Nearly 100 years later, they are maintaining Stewart Gore-Brown’s dream of an English estate in the middle of the gorgeous and untamed African bush. I'll post photos in a separate blog.