The San Joaquin Mill, Maro, just outside Nerja, southern Spain.

A huge amount of sugar cane was grown in the Nerja area from the 16th century onwards (nowadays, the surrounding fields grow mango, papaya and avocado along with other crops). The first sugar factory was opened in Nerja in 1588, amazingly enough, and there were several others.

The San Joaquin mill was built in 1884. It was originally owned by the Marquis de Tous, closed in 1911 and re-opened in the 1930s. I haven’t been able to find out when it finally closed but it is now roofless and pretty derelict, although its chimney   (with an interesting criss-cro ss brickwork pattern) still stands, along with the waterways running between the buildings and an impressive sense of worth – the location and the views are more than remarkable.  An incredible place, now lost in the rubble.

Factory, Tablones, near Orgiva, Spain.

Whilst cruising through the dry river bed of the Rio Sucio I noticed this large complex of, what seemed like, abandoned factory buildings.  During the exploration we found 2 dogs locked in one of the warehouses, they were barking loudly and did not look well – I think that this means that the property was being guarded in some way; I doubt it was being squatted!  The huge piles of sand, cement and other aggregate was piled up on all of the walls of the building and there were several diggers dotted around the place, rotting slightly… There was one room full of paperwork dated from 1975… I could not quite work out what the factory was for; or whether it was still fully, or just party in use.  Either way, another incredible place now lost in the rubble…

 

Amylum Aquitaine

This derelict industrial building was located on the less inhabited side of the River Garonne in Bordeaux.  The front door was wide open, some of the rooms had been completely trashed, and some were in near perfect condition with new-looking swivel chairs and well-kept carpet.  I didn’t go upstairs because I was pretty certain that the upper floor was being lived in by a group of squatters – and interrupting them is not something that I wished to do!  The pram hanging ominously in the doorway and the builders hat hung up on the bannisters showed that it was definitely frequented by people…  Apparently the sign ‘Amylum Aquitaine’ hints at the idea that the building would have once been a sugar factory or similar – Aquitaine being the district in which Bordeaux is and Amylum the plant that produces sugar.  Another interesting reminder of the obsoletion of modern life, now lost in the rubble.

Spinning and Weaving Mill, Soller, Mallorca, Spain.

A friend of mine introduced me to a local jewellery maker and artist who had done a shoot in this very factory – he, however had been given the keys by the owners… We went on search for the building and though at first it looked like it would be impossible to get in, an easy shuffle up a wall lead us to a precariously placed and extremely old ladder on the other side – easy entry!  All of the original reels were still inside, with faded dyed cottons, purples, pastels shimmering in the otherwise dusty grey room.  They had been tied up in a silly position by some prankstA, and to be honest it added to the whole ridiculousness of it all!  This building was beautiful, towering, solid and still had all of everything you would imagine a spinning and weaving mill to have – why was this left like this?!  Even the paperwork was strewn all over the office, ancient bottles of champagne now riddled amongst the paper, fabrics and dirt.  The machinery especially was in incredibly condition, the clock-in clock-out names were still in their slots and in the store rooms, there were light bulbs the size of my head.  A really fascinating place, now lost in the rubble…