Leader: Ben Evans (British Institute for Geological Conservation Project Manager)
Cardiff has twice been the base for GA meetings; a week-long 1920 excursion and a 1936 weekend field meeting. So, this joint one-day (and why not make a weekend of it?) field meeting, exploring its nearby exceptionally varied geology and scenery at locality three is long overdue.
Morning session: at Capel Horeb SSSI, a former sandstone quarry on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog). Owned and managed by BIGC for its globally significant oldest-known (late-Silurian) terrestrial plant fossils, we’ll also examine its Curry Fund supported interpretation.
Midday session: at Cyfarthfa Castle, near Merthyr Tydfil, examining the ‘Carboniferous Garden’ greenhouses, developed by BIGC as part of ‘The South Wales Coalfield Geo Heritage Network’ project, with their living and fossil plants. There’ll be enough time to eat your packed lunch!
Afternoon session: at Bendrick Rock SSSI, owned and managed by BIGC, to look for dinosaur footprints and examine palaeoenvironmental evidence in the late Triassic Mercia Mudstone Series rocks; we’ll also explore issues around the geoconservation of an eroding and very accessible vulnerable coastal geosite.
BOOKING INFORMATION: Numbers are limited to 20
COST: GA Members £5 / Non-Members £15
Also check out other Meetups in Merthyr Tydfil.
