fionamw

I've just learned one of my ancestors built a barrio in 1883 for mining staff & that the manager's house has just been bought by the University of Huelva from Endesa.
A cousin and I plan a visit later this year; apparently the railway that went from the mine to the loading docks on the river has been reopened as a 'tourist railway' along a 23 km stretch of the line - said to be a beautiful journey. Does anyone know anything more about any of this history? There's a blog my cousin's found but anything else would be helpful. Seems one of our family is buried in Huelva British cemetery (??).....

olivia

Hi
I have been to the Rio Tinto mine museum and English village 'Barriada de la Bellavista' It is very interesting and a worthwhile visit. The village is well looked after and the houses are all built in an english style one is open for viewing. There is the Church [not sure if there are graves] and a clubhouse gardens etc. all within this community which is on the outskirts of a small Spanish town I think it is Atalaya? on the road from Huelva inland towards Aracena. The old hospital in the town has been converted into a museum with a replica of the working conditions in the mine and many interesting exhibits and some records of the days when the English were there. The mine workings are a short drive from here and we were escorted by a guide to one of the mines. The landscape left behind is spectacular in an unattractive kind of way. The restored section of railway runs around an area of yet another mine. We didn't get to go on this because out of season it runs on a limited timetable.
Once the railway was completed to get the ore to the port at Huelva another community was established. Here there most definitely is an English cemetery and more houses built in English style. I haven't seen that yet.
Over the past few years there have been some very informative articles written in the Ayamonte free paper 'The Oracle' later called 'The Resident'
altho the paper is no longer published I believe the articles are available online.
Olivia

fionamw

What a brilliant comprehensive answer! Many thanks. Will see if I can figure where the online stuff might be. And will definitely cut & paste your reply to my cousin. Thanks again

Jur

Fiona, the webpage where you can find these articles is www.theoraclenews.com. all editions have been put together as one book of 124 pages so it´ll take you some time to flick through it but there are some interesting articles about Huelva´s history.

fionamw

Excellent, thanks for that... however I know I'll look stupid, but I can't get past the first page..

I knew I'd look stupid... just found out the controls I'd missed. Doh. Sorry and thanks again.
No, I can't get to the older ones despite my best endeavours!!!

Carol&John

Hi,
Michael Halligan wrote an article on page 19 (I also can access only up to page 24) of The CDL Resident about Rio Tinto, and he mentioned Casa 21 in the Barrio Inglés at Bella Vista.

Photos of Casa 21, the church, and map of the area (La Atalaya Golf club) as mentioned by Olivia:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34327589

There was a drama on TVE called "Corazón de la tierra" a few years ago, also released on video/DVD I believe:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=de+la+tierra

Carol

jackytoo

The British built most of the railroad system in andalucia. The Reina Victoria hotel in Ronda was also built by the British at the same time.

Carol&John

Re: Railways. There appear to have been at least two: Rio Tinto and the Tharsis.
http://www.espacioadsl.es/manuelmuri...ur%EDstico.pdf

Re: Cemeteries. Not sure if these are all one and the same? I think the one in Huelva capital is an extension of the main cemetery La Soledad, but you'd need to enquire about access. (No jokes about "Dying to get in" please!)

http://www.huelvainformacion.es/arti...deterioro.html

http://lahuelvacateta.wordpress.com/...es-de-tharsis/

http://www.huelvainformacion.es/arti...icaciones.html

Jur

You can try to contact Michael through the pm systm, he´s MichaelH on the forum

fionamw

Thank you so much to everyone who's taken the trouble to reply. My cousin will get links, etc., she's far better at this research stuff than I am despite being so much further away. Just to spread the issue further afield, the British were good at railways in the southern hemisphere too....... our ancestors (closer - my and her grandfather -) were instrumental in the design/construction of the Argentine railways too!!! Thanks again Fiona

David-Spain

Hi

My name is David Pusey & I live in the costal resort of Benajarafe 20 mins East of Malaga.

Re the "British Cemetery" in Huelva, I visited this cemetery yesterday & if you want an up to date view on this location or would like me to investigate any graves I would be pleased to do so.

I shall be making another visit in the not too distant future so let me know if I can help in any way.

Please contact me direct by phone on: <snip> or <snip>.

Trust this may help you.

Kind regards

David

fionamw

Thanks - haven't been in touch with my cousin in an age but when we get around to knowing what we're looking for etc may contact you
thanks again
nb was it a personal visit or are you a professional researcher
(apologies no question mark or fullstop so I appear rude with each and every post these days!)

David-Spain

Hi

Re your questions, I was visiting the cemetery to view the War Graves that are in the Huelva Cemetery & I will be going back, possibly, next month.

If you want I can look at all of the graves in the "English Cemetery" for any person you are interested in although some of the writing on the graves is difficult to decipher plus some have fallen over. If you want to visit make sure that you have got access as the English Cemetery was locked when I visited yesterday.

Blue skies

David

EsuriJohn

There have been a couple of TV programmes recently that have referred to this. The "Man who never was" is burried there and his grave has been refreshed. There are also a couple of RAF aircrew who were allegedly shot down by the Spanish and I think some first world war seamen.

EsuriJohn

Can you give a location for the cemetary we visit Huelva often and I should like to pay my respects.