11.05.2019 Nochmals auf die Levada da Roda

Course

After I had looked in 2016 for the inactive, or only still rudimentarily working, part of the Levada da Roda, this year I set out to explore the horizontal branches of this little-known levada. On the Rua da Lombada stands a fairly ruined water mill, whose aqueduct is nevertheless very well preserved. The little water there is is led from the start of the aqueduct onto the fields on the eastern side of the road.

On the other side of the road the Vereda Levada da Roda begins, at first without a levada, which then appears out of nowhere after 20 metres, or rather is filled with plenty of water through a pipe, presumably from the Levada dos Tornos. The levada seems (as of 2019) to have been newly restored. A small concrete hut on the levada branches some water off into a side branch a few 100 metres further on. That branch originally drove a water mill; here too the aqueduct is very well preserved, and the house is for sale.... (Moinho das Regadinhas)

When I walked it, the levada beyond that was dry, but in use. I continued south-west on the path alongside. At a wash house, water is fed in again from a pipe, and I followed it until it shoots down towards the sea as a vertical levada. This is the south-eastern terminal branch.

Back to the wash house, and there I followed the sound of the water on a concrete path that looked new. I came to the foot of a reservoir. Around the reservoir you can see any number of traces of old levada channels and pipes. I followed one trace about 100 metres west until it lost itself in the undergrowth. I suspect this was originally the south-western terminal branch. According to the descriptions of the Caminheiros Anonimos, the vertical part of this terminal branch can be reached by the path that leads away from the wash house.

I went back to the wash house and, on the same path over the levada, back to the starting point.

Distance: 2.8 Km, 50 Hm ascent, 50 Hm descent

Start: 14.30 Fonte dos Alocreves

End

15.20 Fonte dos Alocreves

Condition

Newly restored, good concrete paths alongside, in places also as meadow levadas

Remarks

The next project would be to assess the vertical levadas, and above all the course of the south-western terminal branch.