According to the Kloof Conservancy Project, the area known as Krantz Kloof welcomed the arrival of the railway line in March 1879, officially opening to Pietermaritzburg on December 1, 1880. The nearest stations at the time were located in Pinetown and Gillitts. Due to the steep gradient from Pinetown to Bothas Hill, steam engines required additional water. A local figure, John Coote Field—affectionately known as “Old Jack”—negotiated with the Natal Government Railway for a water supply in exchange for free passage for his family. Legend has it that Old Jack once stopped a train by cutting the water pipes when the driver failed to heed his call. This incident led to an agreement for trains to halt at Field’s Hill, ensuring his family could board and alight.

 The original Krantz Kloof Station, a wood and iron structure, opened in 1890 and served as a community hub, hosting the first church services and functioning as a post office and telephone exchange. Following Old Jack’s death in 1896, he left his farm to his eleven children and one grandchild, with his wife granted lifetime use. By 1903, the village of Krantz Kloof began to take shape as family members subdivided their inheritances. In Esmé Stuart’s memoir, she recounts the arrival of ox-wagons bringing furniture from Durban in 1904.

 Due to confusion with the similarly named Kranskop, the railway authorities sought permission from locals and the Field family to rename the station, resulting in the change to Kloof on July 3, 1922. The station building underwent reconstruction in 1924 and, after various adaptations, now proudly serves as Stoker’s Arms pub and restaurant.