Tejadillos

A village in the Cabriel valley

Tejadillos lies in the east of the province, in Serranía Baja (lower Serranía), in a mountain valley crossed by the Cabriel. Its rubble-stone houses follow the terrain. Around it are pine woods, rocks and riverbanks. People lived from livestock and woodland. The church’s dedication is unclear: some sources say San Pedro Apóstol, others the Natividad. The festivities are for San Pedro, around 29 June.

Rue and May songs

In Tejadillos a bunch of rue was hung from the ceiling of children’s rooms to protect them from evil, one of many mountain customs involving this plant, believed to ward off illness, witches and vipers; one local area is called Hoya de la Ruda. The village is also among those still singing the mayos, May songs, like Landete, Talayuelas or Campillos-Paravientos.

The book Etnobotánica en la Serranía de Cuenca (2003) records that asensio, a wormwood, was hung in Tejadillos to protect against a cholera epidemic, and elsewhere placed in pigsties. This is a reported belief, not a remedy. More plant uses appear in Plants with names.

At Carnival, the things collected from houses were taken to the priest’s home and auctioned on the square on carrastoliendas, Shrove Tuesday. The story is told in Carnival of souls and St John’s Night.

A silver mine and two schools

On the hillside towards Peña de Mariestevan was an abandoned mine called de Plata, the silver mine. In 1849 Madoz described it as containing coal and particles resembling iron or copper pyrites.

In 1919 the village requested a boys’ school and conversion of the mixed school to a girls-only school. It had 55 boys and 52 girls of school age, and offered premises, materials and the teacher’s house. The Ministry approved this on 26 November.

Plan your visit

The village takes an hour to see, on a day through eastern Serranía Baja. Forest tracks are suitable for walking or mountain biking.

Before you travel

Ask the town hall when the church opens. Forestry machinery may be working on the forest tracks.

Combine with

Huerta del Marquesado is 5 km away in a straight line, Laguna del Marquesado, with its tufa lake, 5.1 km and Zafrilla 6.1 km.