Ceresuela

Molino de Ribera de Vall - entrance 1915

Ceresuela is an abandoned village in the valle de Vío (Sobrarbe) at the upper reaches of the Río Yesa. It is really remote and is probably best reached from Buerba walking the GR 15.1 towards Buisán and Fanlo. Leave the GR at the Collada de Pera (or Trito) and walk southwards. In Ceresuela follow the gravel road towards Yeba. Take the branch to the left (down) where you are presented with two options to reach Yeba. Follow the path down until you reach the river bed. At the crossing leave the road and walk downstream along the rivulet. You'll soon find the bridge and further to the East, the remains of the mill.

Pictures: 26.x.2017

(1) The mill of Ceresuela next to the Barranco de Yesa

(2) The mill of Ceresuela: left section = the workplace, right = the porch.

(3) Mouth of the cárcavo.

The mill is a simple rectangular construction in one level. The roof has collapsed, but we can still see that it consisted of flagstones (losas). It was sloping diagonally from the high back wall towards the south, and river, facing façade. Such a single pitch roof —typical of oil mills, certainly those with a big cantilever press— is a rather rare phenomenon with a flour mill. We only remember having seen it in the mill of Letosa, which is also very similar to the Ceresuela mill in other aspects, such as design and volume.

The only entrance (4) is oriented to the east. It is a wide passage with a wooden beam as a lintel. The entrance was probably so wide to facilitate access for customers with their pack animals. Through the entrance we enter a first space that occupies approximately half the volume of the structure. To the right, leaning against the long wall, is a stone bench (5 right). The top is finished with stones flat against the wall and edged with a wooden plank in front. The finish suggests that it is a bench for visitors and not, as in other places, a feeding trough for animals. In front of the bank there is a small window that overlooks the river.

(4) The entrance facing East. The mill pond was at the right.

(5) Entrance (back) with reception zone seen from the workplace.

The interior passage to the work room is only half the width of the entrance. The outer lintel is a stone monolith. Inside there is a wooden beam. Unlike many other places, we couldn't find any inscriptions around the entrance: no protective crosses, no years, and no names or initials.

The former work place is empty; there is only space for one couple of stones. In the wall facing south there is, as always, a small window above the exit of the cárcavo. This window is bordered by two monolithic jambs. The lintel is gone, along with the upper part of the wall. The floor has partially collapsed and the rubble can be found in the cárcavo.

(6) Workplace with reception zone in the back.

(7) Puente del molino = The mill's bridge.

Upstream from the mill there is a small, old worn bridge (7) built from beams. On both banks a solid foundation has been built from roughly cut stones that are clearly larger in the lower layers than those in the upper part. On these pedestals are 4 long logs. Special iron bars have been mounted to the outer logs with an eye at the top through which a strong iron wire has been mounted to serve as a railing.

On the left bank downstream of the bridge there is a small wall (8). It is not clear to us what this is for. It should be upstream if it was meant as a flood protection for the base of the bridge. It may have something to do with the water collection for the mill.