Culture: Admiring the efforts to revive old homesteads

[Stivandrer]

If you like me find yourself stopping in your tracks along the caminos as you pass yet another cluster of houses that were once in living function of a village, now dilapidated and being in total disrepair. Ever so often I spend some time standing still, losing track of time as I try to recreate in my mind how this once looked; and then imagine how it would look tomorrow when some active boy & mind has transformed this heap of broken walls into a new fundation and function...
This Canadian has returned to his grandparents house, left for 5 decades and starts to clear the ground, clean the walls, and makes plans for new production and housing.
As I fell into this video and lost myself into this Herculean task, I am still full of admiration as to his exploits...

 

[OTH86]

@Stivandrer, you might be interested in a book I just found and am reading - Requiem for a Spanish Village by Barbara Norman, published 1972. I found a used vesion on bookfinder.com.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I'll watch the video during my very early morning YouTube sessions. I've seen some other fascinating renovations in Spain. If you would like to see some more search YouTube for:
Kirsten Dirksen Spain

 

[C clearly]

What an excellent video!

Those who are interested in this type of project and maintaining the traditional crafts might want to look at Eugenio Monesma's videos too.

 

[naplesdon]

There is a Canadian guy who bought an old church and manse just before you reach Pamplona which he remodeled. It has been years since I visited him, so I forget his name. He had some awful stories to tell about how the locals treated him. Part of his property included a small cemetery. Even though he had negotiated the purchase on the up and up with the local church authorities, the town nearby took offense and hassled him to the point of cutting down a grove of plum trees on his property in vengeance to his presence and ownership of their ancestral grave yard.

 

[Saint Mike II]

There is a Canadian guy who bought an old church and manse just before you reach Pamplona which he remodeled. It has been years since I visited him, so I forget his name. He had some awful stories to tell about how the locals treated him. Part of his property included a small cemetery. Even though he had negotiated the purchase on the up and up with the local church authorities, the town nearby took offense and hassled him to the point of cutting down a grove of plum trees on his property in vengeance to his presence and ownership of their ancestral grave yard.

Hola Don, its most unfortunate that the locals were not prepared to get off their "fat u know whats" and do any repairs, yet when someone else comes along and takes action they turn vengeful. You could not have blamed your Canadian guy for throwing in the towel and levelling both the old church and manse. Hopefully some locals finally saw the benefit his actions.

 

[naplesdon]

I hope he is still there. He was meticulously restoring the chapel and the manse. The chapel had been plundered by vandals but he found a number of treasures as he did his restoration work.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I'll watch the video during my very early morning YouTube sessions. I've seen some other fascinating renovations in Spain. If you would like to see some more search YouTube for:
Kirsten Dirksen Spain

I subscribe to Kirsten Dirksen, although I don't watch every episode. The unique and amazing homes and properties she films, created by the owners are extremely interesting. Some are very creative and artistic and some are a bit weird, but fascinating.

 

[Theatregal]

I hope he is still there. He was meticulously restoring the chapel and the manse. The chapel had been plundered by vandals but he found a number of treasures as he did his restoration work.

Do you mean this place?


The Abbey of Ilarratz Eskirotz that is being restored by Neill Le Roux and Catherine Adams. I have heard recently that Neill is not well and The Abbey may be up for sale.

A story from 2017:

The Abbey Dream of Neill Le Roux

An old abandoned Abbey that was originally a Romanesque church of the twelfth century thought to be linked to Benedictine monks. A retired South African and his

www.diariodenavarra.es

 

[naplesdon]

Do you mean this place?
View attachment 179336

The Abbey of Ilarratz Eskirotz that is being restored by Neill Le Roux and Catherine Adams. I have heard recently that Neill is not well and The Abbey may be up for sale.

A story from 2017:

The Abbey Dream of Neill Le Roux

An old abandoned Abbey that was originally a Romanesque church of the twelfth century thought to be linked to Benedictine monks. A retired South African and his

www.diariodenavarra.es

Yes! I had forgotten that he was from South Africa.

 

[wisepilgrim]

I follow his channel, and that of a few other pile-of-stone dreamers. It helps me to realize the feasibility of certain dreams I have for my own pile of stones which I’ve been tinkering with since Covid days. I grew up with This Old House and lived in North American wooden homes most of my life, and can say that there is a great satisfaction that comes from putting back what has fallen down, especially so when they are big stones that require a bit of creative thinking. Mine has been around for a few hundred years and I like to think that with a bit of sweat equity it can keep on for a few more.

 

[FLEUR]

In the UK there's a TV programme on Channel 4
Help I bought a Village which follows people doing up abandoned properties in France, Spain, Italy, Romania and other countries. Interesting to watch.but these properties require suitable skills and huge amounts of time and money .

 

[topochines2012]

If you like me find yourself stopping in your tracks along the caminos as you pass yet another cluster of houses that were once in living function of a village, now dilapidated and being in total disrepair. Ever so often I spend some time standing still, losing track of time as I try to recreate in my mind how this once looked; and then imagine how it would look tomorrow when some active boy & mind has transformed this heap of broken walls into a new fundation and function...
This Canadian has returned to his grandparents house, left for 5 decades and starts to clear the ground, clean the walls, and makes plans for new production and housing.
As I fell into this video and lost myself into this Herculean task, I am still full of admiration as to his exploits...

We are walking the Meseta through what many Spaniards call “empty Spain.” Villages suffering massive depopulation and falling into ruin. Hornillos, Bercianos etc. cycle of life sadly

 

[peregrina2000]

I follow his channel, and that of a few other pile-of-stone dreamers.

I watched this video and thought of you immediately! Maybe you should have a youtube channel so forum members can follow you in this incredible project.

 

[henrythedog]

Not quite to that degree, but I roughly did that in my last house. It went from a tottering pile of stone to a dry(ish) warm(ish) family house. Most things done by me or local people used to working in stone.

At the end, nearing sixty, I recognised the reality that rural isolation is for the young. I moved to somewhere with a bus, drains, right-angles and a garden instead of too many acres. I had the best of it, but rural idylls aren’t all they’re thought to be.

 

[Glenshiro]

Walking the Invierno, especially west of Monforte de Lemos, it is apparent that at least 25% of the rural houses are abandoned and semi derelict. Another 25% definitely don't look lived in. It's the same rural depopulation story one finds almost everywhere including, I believe, the American midwest. There simply isn't enough employment for the young people who leave for the big towns and don't come back. The infrastructure tends to be poor, although Spanish roads and railways are better than much of Europe. Broadband however is almost unknown more than a few kilometres from the larger towns.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Broadband however is almost unknown more than a few kilometres from the larger towns.

Not true in Galicia, it is arriving quickly to even the smallest villages. My village has about 50 full time inhabitants and although it was a painful wait, it arrived. And before it did Starlink allowed me to work from home.

 

[Glenshiro]

Not true in Galicia, it is arriving quickly to even the smallest villages.

Glad to hear that. My comment was based on a conversation with a couple of long term UK expats in Monforte de Lemos last year. Interestingly the roll out of super fast fibre broadband to rural areas of Southeast England has enabled many small family farms which are no longer financially viable to repurpose themselves as workspaces for craftsmen, engineers, vintage vehicle restorers etc.