Casa de Campo, Farmhouse, Orgiva to Lanjaron Road, Las Alpujarras, Spain.

Here is a common view in the reddening, sun-sore fields of the Sierra Nevada farmland – a once beautiful farm building now decaying into the ground, melting like the Dali inspired clocks as society changes, again.

I climbed to the top of the roof structure and watched the sun set whilst my new exploring friend, Mango, toured the different levels beneath us. The red bricks dissolved into the red sun as I left here feeling very content; despite it being another sad story of capitalism’s impact on rural Spain as traditional farming becomes lost in the rubble…

The Lost Village, Las Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

A rare site in most of the UK, however an eerily common occurrence over the rest of Europe and indeed the world – this is a lost village of the Alpujarras, as villages and sometimes even towns become entirely derelict, mostly due to the industries which they were grown upon becoming obsolete with new technologies and the increase of the global market becoming centralised in clear zones, or cities.

This village/town used to house the workers from the energy factory up the road however this looks largely closed down now, perhaps a computer is able to do the same job that this small community of people used to.

Not only were there around 10-20 houses left to the natural elements, but also a clear community kitchen area, playground and most impressively, a church; which had been used by an artist to create a large baby mural – there was something quite unnervingly beautiful about this village, now forever lost in the rubble…

Casa del Pais – Rich Farmhouse, Near Huelma, Jaen, Spain.

 

An impressive silhouette seen from the A-44 between Granada and Jaen, this relic of Spain’s “good times” stood red and proud.  The land around it was still clearly used for farming, however there was no sign of anyone living in this building – instead a small casita (little house) could be seen about a mile away and an old man smoking, slaving over an oilly motorbike; this was a sure sign of the depression that has hit Spain hard – especially in rural areas reliant upon agriculture.  No farming family could afford to live in a house like that these days, and in fact, the younger generation was nowhere to be seen… A common story for farming families, not just in Spain but all over Europe.  A culture becoming lost in modernity, a way of life, lost in the rubble.

Ruins of the Sierra Nevada

 

The mountains of the Sierra Nevada are much more populated than many in Europe due to their moderate climate and thus decent farm and grazing land.  The current inhabitants are however very different to the previous land dwellers, who would have largely been traditional Spanish farming families.  These days the winding tracks, pine forests and snowy peaking views attract expat families from England, Germany, Holland and alike.  This means that although many people own land with previous foundations already there, they are unlikely to use this in favour of newer built structures.  Some of these ruins are are still used by the occasional shepherd when travelling across the mountain tops however most lie lost in the rubble..

Farmhouse, Tablones, Southern Spain.

This is one of the many thick walled remains of a traditional Andalucian working farm. This one was particularly photogenic thanks to the Spring flower invasion and it was a real bonus to find the original fireplace and window intact.

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.

Old Moroccan Castle, Orgiva, Spain.

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…

 

Escuela Nacionales, Sierra Nevada, between Orgiva and Cadiar, Southern Spain.

What an amazing location for a school – perched right on the rocky outcrops of the Sierra Nevada, on both sides of the plot: steep drops to a dry river bank below.  I was not expecting the incredible story to go with the picture – this is not just a crumbling home or farm, as expected from the road view; but an old school for the tiny pueblos and villages scattered in the, now snowy, Alpujarras with blackboard and children’s scribblings still in tact!  The lighting, view and feeling of this building was beautiful, I would love to know when the school was closed down, and whether it was due to sheer lack of funding…. Anyway, now the school remains lost in the rubble…

El Torre Del Gobernador, Allela, outside Barcelona, Spain.

The “Governor’s Tower” is a building of eclectic architectural features, thanks to a series of modifications made over the centuries by the owners. Built on the outskirts of Barcelona in the 16th century, it was originally the residence of the Governor General of Catalonia before it was taken over from the 17th to the 19th centuries by the counts of Santa Coloma, viceroys of Catalonia. It was then acquired by the banker Antonio Borrell Folch. He commissioned Guitart i Lostalo, a modernist architect, who added two square towers flanking a Gothic bridge to the entrance. On his death Borrell bequeathed the estate to the order of Friars of the Pious Schools, dedicated to teaching poor children. The buildings were run as a school until the late Seventies. As they became unfit for purpose they were put to other uses. The Borrell Institute closed down permanently in 2000. The property was resold but has since fallen into a state of neglect, and now sadly lies lost in the rubble.