Nieuwoudtville Cemetery is in the Calvinia district, 70 km north-west of Calvinia and 50 km north-east of Vanrhynsdorp, on the Bokkeveld escarpment which is surmounted by Van Rhyn’s Pass. The village was established on land bought by the N.G. Kerk in 1897 from the Nieuwoudt brothers. Some of the houses along the Groen River where these Nieuwoudts lived are still to be seen. The environs are sometimes called the ‘Boland of the North West, because the local rainfall (350 mm) is remarkably higher than in the rest of the district. Although some bush (rooibos) tea and an appreciable quantity of cereals are harvested, sheep are the main source of income. An old horse-mill may be seen in the town.
