Andrew Simpson: In Almeria even the street grids are posh ….. and come with a bit of history

Thursday, 5 February 2026

In Almeria even the street grids are posh ….. and come with a bit of history

I have never made a secret of my fascination for street furniture, and of all these it is the humble cast iron cover which take pride of place in my collection.

They come in all shapes and sizes, bear the name of the municipality who made them and give access to a cornucopia of tunnels, drains and electrical installations.

And so well known is my fascination that friends send me pictures when ever they encounter one on a holiday or business trip.

All of which is a lead into these two fine grids.

They come from Almeria and Nijar.

My Wikipedia tells me that “Almería is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. The city lies in southeastern Iberia, extending primarily in between the eastern fringes of the Sierra de Gádor and the Andarax riverbed along the coastline of the Gulf of Almería, a large inlet of the Mediterranean Sea. The municipality has a population of 201,946”.*

While Wikipedia also records that "Níjar is a Spanish municipality in the province of Almería, Andalusia. It lies in the eastern part of Almería, in the Sierra de Alhamilla and the south-eastern Mediterranean coast, in the Campo de Níjar, near the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.

The main sources of income are agriculture, especially in the growing of greenhouse crops, and tourism, especially the water sports centre of San José".**

To which I should add Almeria was the setting for the sixth season of Game of Thrones.

But enough of their collective histories, geography and much more all of which are out there for any one to find.

So instead I am back to the grids, both of which are posh enough to sport the coat of arms of their respective local authority which is a nice link to their past, leaving me just to include the inscription and translations on the covers “Saneamento Ayuntamiento Almeria” which translate into the less romantic “Sanitation Almeria City Council”, and “Ayuntamiento De Nijar Saneamiento” or “Nijar City Council Sanitation”.

And that is it.