The Abandoned Lead Mines of Sierra Alhamilla

From 1796 to 1930, the abandoned mines of Sierra Alhamilla in the province of Almería were a source of lead and other minerals. D. Guillermo Barrón served as the director jefe of mining operations at El Chorrillo, a smelting site also known as La Fabriquilla. Although the companies Marwell y Compañía and The Alquife considered transferring their works in 1918, the mines on the northern slope of Sierra Alhamilla were the ones that had more importance.

The central and western part of Sierra Alhamilla began to be exploited in the 1880s by the American society Marwell y Compañía. In 1896, the shipping house Morel Brothers from Cardiff began substituting for the exploitation of the Baños de Sierra Alhamilla to the company The Almería And Alhamilla Rail Uvoy.

Between 1833 and 1840, Sierra Alhamilla saw a great boom in minerals. By 1909, the mining company of Sierra Alhamilla had 8 mines in operation with 184 hectares of surface area, while the area counted 500 inhabitants. The remains of these sites, particularly near the town of Lucainena de las Torres, are easily recognizable from a distance.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons