54. The Aberystwyth District (1995)
compiled by M. R. Dobson
The Aberystwyth Grits and Borth Mudstones (Silurian) are magnificently exposed in accessible cliffs along the coastline of Cardigan Bay and are world-famous as classic examples of turbidity current deposition. But the region is also known for the variety of its glacial landforms and modern sedimentary environments. Nineteen itineraries are described in detail, the first eight dealing with the variations in the turbidite fan succession between New Quay in the South and Harp Rock in the North. The rest cover the Dovey Estuary, the Quaternary and solid geology of Cardigan Bay and the Plynlimon area. A glossary is included.
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Itineraries
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The Aberystwyth Grits and Borth Mudstones (Silurian) are magnificently exposed in accessible cliffs along the coastline of Cardigan Bay and are world-famous as classic examples of turbidity current deposition. But the region is also known for the variety of its glacial landforms and modern sedimentary environments. Nineteen itineraries are described in detail, the first eight dealing with the variations in the turbidite fan succession between New Quay in the South and Harp Rock in the North. The rest cover the Dovey Estuary, the Quaternary and solid geology of Cardigan Bay and the Plynlimon area. A glossary is included.
Itinerary 1 New Quay
Proximal turbidites, amalgamated beds, sedimentary dykes and sills.
Start Point SN 3868 6044
Itinerary 2 Cei Bach to Gilfach
Coastal geomorphology, amalgamated beds, washouts and sole markings.
Start Point SN 415 600
Itinerary 3 Aberarth to Morfa
Coastal geomorphology, slumped bedding, lobe progression and sole markings.
Start Point SN 480 642
Itinerary 4 Monk’s Cave
Coastal geomorphology, glacial deposits, thick bedded sandstones and washouts.
Start Point SN 555 745
Itinerary 5 Aberystwyth to Clarach
Classic Aberystwyth Grits Formation: distal turbidites, sole markings and lateral correlation.
Start Point SN 583 825
Itinerary 6 Clarach to Wallog
Slumped beds, ripple drift bedding, correlation across folds and faults, folding and cleavage, graptolites.
Start Point SN 586 841
Itinerary 7 Wallog to Harp Rock
Distal facies, sole markings, regular banding, amalgamated beds, internal rippling and graptolites.
Start Point SN 590 857
Itinerary 8 Borth to Harp Rock
Very distal basin plain mudstones, trace fossils and quartz veining.
Start Point SN 6073 8887
Itinerary 9 Dovey Estuary
Tidal flats, fauna, flora, sedimentation and fossil forest.
Start Point SN 654 929
Itinerary 10 Ynyslas Foreshore
Fossil forest, sand and shingle spit, dune field and shells.
Start Point SN 607 925
Itinerary 11 Dovey / Dyfi Valley
Late Pleistocene and Holocene sediments and landforms.
Start Point Mallwyd at SN 860 125
Itinerary 12 Tonfanau
Quaternary erratics and Cardigan Bay geology, Ordovician volcanism, Tonfanau Quarry: volcanics and intrusion.
Start Point SH 564 038
Itinerary 13 Bird Rock and Castell y Bere
Ordovician (Caradoc) volcanism.
Start Point Bird Rock SH 6436 0686
Itinerary 14 Llwyngwril
Cambrian stratigraphy, igneous intrusions and minerals.
Start Point SH 5994 1107
Itinerary 15a Nant y Moch
Orovician, glacial topography, engineering and mining, grapolites.
Start Point SN 763 864
Itinerary 15b Carn Owen
Uppermost Ordovician, folding, faulting and mineralisation.
Start Point SN 7362 8854
Itinerary 15c Rheidol Gorge
A spectacular geology, glaciation, graptolites, lead mining and gigantic pot holes.
Start Point SN 7467 8055
Itinerary 15d Devil’s Bridge
Narrow gorge cut in Pleistocene.
Start Point SN 7415 7703
Itinerary 16 Ystwyth Area
Ystwth inlier, sandstone lobes, graptolites, Tertiary drainage patterns.
Start Point SN 930 650
Itinerary 17 Hendre Quarry
A working quarry, need permission to access this. A minor lobe of basinal arenaceous turbidites.
Start Point SN 721 690
Itinerary 18 Cwmystwyth and Eaglebrook Mines
Minerals and mineralisation.
Start Point SN 740 890
Itinerary 19 Cwmystwyth Area
Silurian stratigraphy, high matrix turbidites.
Start Point SN 789 741