MORE CIVIL WAR ARCHAEOLOGY BURIED DEEP IN THE CLOT DE GALVANY

I thought I knew like the back of my hand all of the old Civil War relics strewn across the Clot De Galvany but, as so often on this journey through Spain's past, there is always something lying hidden away that is waiting to be brought back into the picture. I'd been Googling something else when all of a sudden a picture of a ruined, yellow stone building with machine gun slits still in evidence popped up on my screen. It was marked as being on the Clot but the only form of identification was an impressive clump of palm trees. So I set out on the path that takes you right to the back of the nature reserve where it butts up against Arenales. Just as you wind round towards the section you have to climb up you will see the palm trees on your left. You really can't miss them. Head in off the beaten path and you will see the curved concrete of a Civil War-era structure. It's impressive and in good nick. Not so what I guess must have been some sort of guard house behind it. All that's left now is a couple of walls that could come down at any time. The picture at the bottom of this post shows the same structure six years ago when it was more complete and you get a much better feel for it. There is a deep well next to it that's fenced off. Was this the water source and reservoir for the Republican 225th Mixed Brigade who manned the various defences set out to guard the Cartagena/Alicante/Madrid road? Possibly, it would certainly make sense. The original picture is c/o the fabulous http://restosguerracivilenalicante.blogspot.co.uk blog.