“When we build, let us think that we build forever.”
John Ruskin (1819–1900)
One Farm. Three Crafts.
De Hoop Farm is home to three crafts: stonemasonry, table grapes and winemaking. Our stonemasons handcraft our Paarl Grey Rock and a wide selection of stone sourced from trusted suppliers, into exceptional products for our clients. Out in the vineyards, we grow award-winning table grapes that are exported around the world. Higher up the mountain, where the soils are decomposed granite, we grow and make The Masons Wine Collection.
1894
Our Legacy
Our great-grandfather, James Andrew Clift, was a young Cornish stonemason from the fishing village of Mousehole in England. He arrived in South Africa and honed his craft working for quarry masters and granite contractors.
1906
Our First Contract
He then won his first independent contract: supplying and erecting the stone for the Rhodes Memorial on the slopes of Devil’s Peak. Two years later, he settled in Paarl and established his own quarry and masonry yard, which became JA Clift (Pty) Ltd.
1959
De Hoop Farm Purchased
De Hoop Farm was secured at auction for £33,450. Respect for the land guided every decision that followed. Its vineyards were preserved, and William Clift’s subsequent olive nursery would become the foundation of Masons Winery.
1980S
Securing Our Family’s Future
Geologists drilled a 90-metre test hole through solid rock and confirmed at least 108,000 m³ of quality granite still beneath the mountain.
2000s
Five Generations On
De Hoop Quarry has operated on Paarl Mountain ever since, growing into the oldest active granite quarry in Southern Africa. Along the way, we’ve become the country’s most trusted stone specialists, building its most celebrated monuments and crafting stone solutions that solve our clients’ problems.
where wine and stone meet
Masons Winery
Our passion for craftsmanship extends beyond stone. On De Hoop Farm, we produce small-batch wines through Masons Winery, a family-owned boutique winery that celebrates the character of Paarl Mountain, where decomposed granite soil gives our vineyards their distinctive terroir. If you’re visiting the farm, we invite you to enjoy a wine tasting and experience another part of our family’s legacy.
Still crafting stone for generations to come.
For more than a century, we’ve transformed natural stone into lasting homes, public landmarks and architectural spaces across South Africa. Our story continues with every project we undertake.