Long excursion, Llangollen District, August 16th–23rd, 1919 - Geologists' Association excursion

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Link to Album and Photograph index

To view photograph album:

The Reader Geological Photographs Long Excursions 1919.

To view detailed index of photographs taken on this excursion:

T W Reader geological photographs, long excursions 1919 - index, GA 'Carreck Archive'

Geologists' Association Circular 219. Session 1919–1920. p. 4–6

Long excursion, Llangollen District, August 16th–23rd, 1919 (Transcription from: GA Circular 219. Session 1919–1920. p. 4–6)

Director, L. J. WILLS, MA., F.G.S.

Excursion Secretary, Miss GRACE M. BAUER, 387, Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Headquarters—Royal Hotel, Llangollen. 15/6 per day for bed, attendance, breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, dinner. Hand Hotel, 15/- per day.

Members should book their rooms immediately,

Members must inform the Excursion Secretary when they have booked, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for reply.

Miss Bauer is in communication with several boarding houses, charges from 7/6d–11/- per day, for those who prefer them to the hotels.

Return fare, unless a general reduction in fares is granted by August, 46/1. It is proposed to leave Paddington by the 2 p.m. train on Saturday, August 16th, due at Llangollen 7.23.

The Llangollen district is mountainous and most of the walking will be over rough roads and paths and hillsides, where nailed boots are useful. A small pick is a great help in collecting fossils from the slates.

There are few opportunities of getting refreshments, except where mentioned in the programme, though water can usually be obtained.

Since it is misleading to estimate walking distances in such hilly country in miles, heights above sea level are also given. The height of the Dee at Llangollen is about O.D. 300.

Mr. Wills is writing a pamphlet on the geology of the district, which, it is hoped, will be on sale before the date of the excursion, price 1/6.

Monday, August 18th.

Breakfast 8.0. Take 9.55 train to Berwyn, arriving 10.1. Post-Glacial diversion of the Dee at Llantisilio and the Berwyn Gorge. 3½ miles walk from the station, at first along the side of the pre-Glacial valley, to Cloggau Slab Quarry, O.D. 1500. Intense folding of Lower Ludlow Beds (H. nilssoni zone); ½-mile to Oernant Slate Quarry, O.D. 1300, Pentre Dwfr slates. Lunch. 1½ miles to Moel-y-Faen. Quarries, O.D. 1300, Pen-y-glog Slates and extensive quarries, illustrating the type of folding.

Return 4¾ miles down hill to Llangollen by old Ruthin road. Cyrtograptus murchisoni Beds (fossils) and topmost Tarannon Slates. The route leads past Valle Crucis Abbey. Should any member not desire to complete the round, they can return from any point after Oernant. There will be no opportunity for tea, but possibly carriages may be arranged for to bring back some of the party the last 3½ miles from Pentre-Dwfr. Dinner 7.30.

Tuesday, August 19th.

Breakfast 8.0. Leave headquarters 9.0 on foot for Cyrn-y-brain, 1½ miles, the Aqueduct fault is crossed and Red Basement Carboniferous Beds will be examined O.D. 900; 1½ miles to Ty-Canol; 1 mile to Plas-uchaf, O.D. 900, Tarannon-Llandovery succession. Lunch at Plas-uchaf, which is a historic old house. Examine the Plas-uchaf Grit and Cyrn-y-brain Beds (Ashgillian) near here; 1½ miles to point, O.D. 1511, Llandovery and Tarannon Beds with fossils; ½ mile to Pentre-uchaf, crossing faulted Tarannon Slate country. Thence 4 miles along road as on Monday. It may be possible to arrange for some members to drive home from Pentre-Dwfr as on Monday. Dinner 7.30.

Wednesday, August 20th.

Breakfast 7.30. 8.30 train to Whitehurst Halt, fare 1/-. This station is on the drift-filled pre-Glacial valley of the Dee, near the point where the present river enters the post-Glacial gorge. 1¼ miles to a large Terra-cotta Brick works in the Ruabon Marls (Upper Coal Measures), examining cherts in the Millstone Grit on the way. 3 miles to the mouth of the River Ceiriog. If permission can be obtained the party will proceed through the Halton Woods that clothe the sides of the gorge. The rocks are Productive and Upper Coal Measures, complicated by big faults. Lunch near the river.

The escarpment of the Coed-yr-allt Rock (middle division of the Upper Coal Measures) can be seen from here, and, if time permits, the rocks of this division, Spirorbis Limestone, coalS, sandstones, &c., can be examined near Glyn Morlas. 2½ miles to Chirk. Terraces connected with the post-Glacial erosion of the Ceiriog valley.

Tea 3.30 at The Hand Hotel. Chirk. 4.35 train to Llangollen, arriving 5.18, or 6 miles walk O.D. 950 to Llangollen past Chirk Castle. This fine walk affords opportunity for seeing some of the Millstone Grit and Carboniferous Limestone, Chirk Castle, Offa's Dyke, and a grand panorama of distant views if the weather be clear. Dinner 7.30.

Thursday, August 21 st.

Breakfast 8.0. 9.25 train to Trevor, 9.36; or, if it can be arranged, 9.15 boat on canal to Trevor. Base of the Coal Measures and topmost grit near Trevor. One mile to Garth O.D. 900, cherts and grits of the Millstone Grit; 1 mile to Trevor Rocks, Sandy Limestone Series and Carboniferous Limestone, D. 2; 1 mile to Eglwyseg Rocks, Carboniferous Limestone with fossils and a conglomerate; 1 mile to Castel Dinas-Bran O.D. 1023. Refreshments. Highest Ludlow, Beds with .Dayia navicula, 1 mile to Llangollen. Dinner 7.30.

Friday, August 22nd.

Breakfast 8.0. Leave headquarters at 9 a.m. on foot; 2¼ miles to Bryn-y-groes O.D 1276, good view of the deserted pre-Glacial Dee valley near Pengwern; 1½ miles to Cambrian Slate Quarries. Pen-y-glog slates with fossils, Tarannon slates. Lunch. 1½ miles to Pandy, crossing Glyn Grit and Dolhir Beds (Ashgillian), Bryn Beds (Caradocian), with intrusion of Keratophyre and Pandy Ash. The Dolhir and Bryn Beds are fossiliferous. If time permits 1¼ miles to Glyn-Ceiriog via Mynydd Fron-frys, Dolhir and Glyn Limestones, Llandovery and Tarannon Slates. If it does not, return by road 1 mile to Glyn Ceiriog. Tea at Glyn Valley Hotel at 4,30. Return 3 miles over the hill, O.D. 1276, to Llangollen. Dinner 7.30.

Saturday, August 23rd.

Probably the Glacial and post-Glacial phenomena around the Berwyn gorge will be the theme of a short excursion to meet the requirements of members leaving in the afternoon.

Llangollen 3.10 Paddington 9.0.

References

Ordnance Survey Map (1-in.). No. 121, Large Series, No. 51. Geological Survey Map, Old Series, No. 74 N.E.

Summary of Progress of Geological Survey for years 1911–1913.

G. H. MORTON —"The Carboniferous Limestone and Millstone Grit of North Wales." Proc. Liverpool Geol. Soc., vol. iii., 1876, p. 152.

D. MACKINTOSH.—Quart. Journal Geol. Soc., vol. xxxvii., 1881, on Glacial Drifts.

P. LAKE.—"The Denbighshire Series of S. Denbighshire," Quart. Journal Geol. Soc., vol. li., 1895, pp. 9–23.

G. ELLES.—"The Zonal classification of the Wenloek Shales of the Welsh Borderland." Quart. Journal Geol. Soc., vol. lvi., 1900, pp. 370–414.

W. HIND and J. T. STOBES.—"The Carboniferous Succession below the Coal Measures in North Shropshire, Denbighshire and Flintshire." Geol. Mag., Dec. 5, vol. iii., 1906, p. 497.

T. GBoom and P. LAKE.—"The Bala and Llandovery Rocks of Glyn Ceiriog." Quart. Journal Geol. Soc., vol. lxiv., 1908, pp. 546–595. Good Bibliography.

J. LOMAS.—"Geology of Berwyn Hills." 1908. Price 6d.

L. J. WILLS.—"Late Glacial and post-Glacial changes in the Lower Dee Valley." Quart. Journal Geol. Soc., 1912, pp. 180–198.

The times of trains stated are taken from the June time=tables. Members should consult the new July timetables.