Fuendecampo

Fuendecampo is on the road from L'Ainsa to Campo. It is signposted.
Enter the village and take the left branch: park the car on the square. Find the old path (and dirt-road) on the south-end of the village. It will bring you to the mill. You can also work your way to the river and follow the bed downstream (westward). The mill is in the center of the circle on the map right (map 212 of the Spanish Instituto Geográfico y Catastral - 2a edición 1952). The mill is humble construction not very conspicious in the eroded landscape so typical for the Río Lanata.

Pictures: 21.xii.1998, 06.xi.2011

(1) Molino de Fuendecampo hidden in a curve of the Río Lanata — 2011

(2) Partly collapsed and overgrown — 1998

Back in 1998, when we got to this mill for the first time, there was almost no way in because of the debris and the abundant thorny bush (2). It became soon apparent that the collapsed section was a later addition probably meant to make life at the mill a bit more comfortable, but nothing more. The stones (4) laid safe and sound in the part which stood solidly upright. It cost us several hours to clear the mouth of the cárcavo (before = left in 2, after = 10).

In 2011, the rubble was removed, the cárcavo was shut in order to avoid accidents and the place was secured against wandering cattle.

(3) The site is cleaned-up; only the mill proper is preserved — 2011

The antechamber is removed, but we can still appreciate its size thanks to the whitish stones in the front wall of the construction (3).

Though there are two doors, the space inside is without any divisions. This was most probably originally different. The stones are situated behind the window and the door in the center of the façade.

The platform with the stones (4, 5) takes about two thirds of the wall at the back. The remaining part, behind the wooden door, is taken by a trough. The stones above the workbench are plastered and the joints filled. The remaining section (1/3) of the wall has no finish. There must have been two separate spaces: the mill proper and a shelter for pack animals: a common configuration in small mills (e.g. Bara).

(4) The workplace in 1998; stones: 130 cm ∅

(5) The workplace in 2011

Apart from the usual disarray the workplace features a stone table carrying two pairs of stones (4, 5). The stones are monoliths measuring 130 cm in diameter. The runners are 20 cm thick.

Notice that, while many changes happened outside, the stuff inside was left untouched. There is hardly any difference between the situation 13 years apart (compare 4 and 5)!

(6) Molino Arinero

(7) Is it Año 1909? Notice the cross-signs.

Exactly like many other mills in the wide region (see f.e. Foradada, Solanilla, Abellada), this one is protected by many glyphs around the entrance: many crosses, flowers of life and scribbles difficult to interpret (7 - 9).

There are at least two year marks. One on the door — 1817 (8) — and another one — likely 1909 (9) — on the border stone. The nice azulejo (6) telling us this is a grain mill is certainly worth mentioning. It is a rare occurrence and in a relatively good condition (the one in Nueno did much worse).

(8) The door is loaded with scribbles; 1817 stands out.

(9) Doorpost covered in glyphs of all kinds.

(10) The mouth of the cárcavo — 1998

(11) The drain is now closed — 2011

(12) Cárcavo with one arbol

Hidden behind a rather narrow mouth lies a cárcavo spacious enough to house two wheels corresponding with the stone pairs on the work floor. The cárcavo is almost full with silt and only the top of one axle pops out (12). Back in 1998 there was an open canal that could bring the water back the river some fifty meters away. Nowadays cárcavo and drain are shut (11).

However you look at it — its size, the quality of the masonry (13), the walls which are 0.5 m thick and reach to the top of the roof (14) — the mill pond is impressive.

(13) Walls of the pond converging into the saetín

(14) Pond with mill seen from the North

(15) The mill, seen from the South, with the antechamber leaning against it — 1998

† Notice the difference in the tiling of the roof: South = losas or flat natural stone; North = baked tiles (14)