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Now that autumn is with us, we would normally be enjoying our lecture series. We aren't going to let a global pandemic get us down and so we have started to have some lectures via zoom with an opportunity before the lecture for a group chat just as we have always done. Last Saturday, Alan Bowring gave an excellent talk entitled: Cribarth - a view from your desktop and we have recorded it so if you missed it, follow the link below to go to our YouTube channel to watch in your own time!

https://youtu.be/7AAx9ZaTmNw

Opinions expressed by authors and services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by the South Wales Geologists' Association

We have now removed this video us we have a policy of only making these available for a short period. If you would like to view it, please email as and we will ask the speakers permission and hopefully send you a link. Thanks webmaster@swga.org.uk

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Its almost September already but there are some welcome signs of the SWGA getting back to normal... a little bit anyway! Have a look at our news letter to learn about a first tentative field meetings, our postponed (and first by Zoom!) AGM and other articles which we hope you will find of interest.

ZOOM Meetings for the Technologically ChallengedDownload
SWGA Sept 20Download
SWGA Covid regs for field meetingsDownload
Lonely partsDownload
Llanbadoc trail reportDownload
A tale of two coursesDownload

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The current Covid-19 lock-down has sadly disrupted our usual program of lectures and field trips this year. In keeping with the unusual times, this newsletter is a little different as it contains articles from our members as well as news  to ensure we still keep a little geology in our lives! You can download our latest enhanced newsletter here.

Take care everyone and we'll look forward to seeing you all again "on the other side"!

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It has been a long time since the SWGA website had an upgrade and we have started one on the 22nd of January 2020... and has, as of 1st February been substantially completed

The site is now responsive to the device you are using. On large screens the full menu will be displayed, on smaller screens the menu option will give you access to all of the information

Please let us know via the contact form if you have any issues with the refreshed website

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The coastal section at The Bendricks is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the dinosaur tracks exposed here. It is the best site in Britain for dinosaur tracks of the Triassic Period and should be preserved for all to see and study.

Dinosaur Footprints Information sheetDownload

Please do not collect or damage the footprints. This site is protected by Law Please report anyone you see removing the rock to the Countryside Council for Wales, the Geology Department of the National Museum of Wales, or the Geologists' Association South Wales Group.

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The colourful rocks of Penarth were formed over 200 million years ago. They tell a fascinating story of changes in climate and sea-level. You can download an information sheet here to help you understand the things that you can find

Penarth Geological DetectiveDownload


The cliffs are very unstable so it is important to keep well away from them, and not to hammer at them.

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In many places in the South Wales Coalfield we find the remains of the plants which made the coal. For many of us these are fragments that we struggle to understand as part of a whole organism, but with the help of Rhian Kendall (Geologist, Artist and former president) you do not need to imagine any more you can see them reconstructed in full colour

Carboniferous Fossil PlantsDownload

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PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is an extract from a book partly compiled during the 1990s. The text and photographs reflect the geological knowledge of that time as well as the accessibility of the locations.

Please ensure that you ask permission from landowners to visit any of the locations mentioned in this text, which are on private property and that you are suitably equipped for rough terrain and fickle local weather.

Old Red Sandstone of the Black MountainsDownload

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This section includes the Group’s magazine Welsh Geological Quarterly, published between 1965 and 1970.

The compilation has been scanned from cyclostyled issues of the magazine. Original issues are in the Publications cardboard archive box. As with some other older papers, the better the quality of the original printing, the higher the degree of searchability. A search for “Bassett” in the digital compilation gives 63 mentions, but there are most certainly more occurrences than this.

The Welsh Geological Quarterly (edited by Dr Douglas Bassett) was published in several numbers, forming 5 volumes, between 1965 and 1970.
It was an in-house periodical, cyclostyled and published 4 times a year. It was duplicated on 21cm x 26.5cm paper stapled between soft covers (vol.1 cream, vol.2 red, vol.3 grey, vol.4 green, vol.5 orange). The charge for volume 1 parts 1 & 2 was 6/- (2s 6d per copy + 6d postage). Similarly for volume 1 parts 3 & 4 [6/- is 30p in decimal currency].

The Group was unable to sustain support for this and despite the Editor’s efforts, it ceased publication in 1970 with volume 5 part 1.

These journals were digitized in 2014. The Scanned versions are available here and remain copyright South Wales Geologists' Association

A detailed introduction to the Volumes is also provided

IntroductionDownload
Volume 1 Part 1 - Autumn 1965Download
Volume 1 Part 2 - Winter 1965Download
Volume 1 Part 3 - Spring 1966 Download
Volume 1 Part 4 - Summer 1966Download
Volume 2 Part 1 - Autumn 1966Download
Volume 2 Part 2 - Winter 1966Download
Volume 2 Part 3 - Spring 1967Download
Volume 2 Part 4 - Summer 1967Download
Volume 3 Part 1 - Autumn 1967Download
Volume 3 Part 2 - Winter 1967Download
Volume 3 Parts 3 & 4 - Spring & Summer 1968Download
Volume 4 Part 1 - Autumn 1968Download
Volume 4 Parts 2 & 3 - Winter 1968 & Spring 1969Download
Volume 4 Part 4 - Summer 1969Download
Volume 5 Part 1 - Autumn 1969Download