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
Old Red Sandstone of the Black Mountains
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.
Geological Timescale
Geological Time is put into named ages so that geologists all over the world can share information and compare that with others.
Here is a summary of the Geological Timescale in both English and Welsh
Welsh Geological Quarterly 1965-1970
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
Climate: past present and future?
Geologists' Association National Conference 2017
The South Wales Geologists' Association were the hosts for this event in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff 21 - 22 October 2017
Information about the event is available here: -
Following the conference, Colin Summerhayes has provided slides from his talks, available here for download
The Old Red Sandstone: is it Old, is it Red and is it all Sandstone?
A three-day symposium of interest to all geologists, particularly palaeontologists, stratigraphers, sedimentologists and structural geologists comprising lectures, field excursions, poster displays and public activities in the heart of the Fforest Fawr Geopark.it was held on Friday 3rd October – Sunday 5th October 2014 at the Elim Church Centre, Brecon
Information about that prior event is available here: -
Following the conference, a number of the lectures were written up as papers in the Proceedings of the Geologists Association Volume 128, Issue 3
The Land of the Beacons Way
New, fully-illustrated, 124 page book describes the landscape and geology across the Brecon Beacons National Park as seen from the Beacons Way, a long distance walking route from Ysgyryd Fawr in the east to Bethlehem in the west. £7.95.
Available from: Cindy Howells, Geologists’ Association South Wales Group, Department of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff CF10 3NP.
Cheques should be made payable to the Geologists’ Association South Wales Group.
50 Year Archives 1960-2010
During the winter of 2009-10, archive material from Alun Thomas (group Secretary 1966-1989) was given to the Group, prompting the opportunity to compile 50 years of the Group’s activities. This was completed in 2015. The full fifty year archive comprises, in 20 sections, original paperwork, a box with a copy of virtually all the Group’s publications, a roll of the posters prepared by the Group, two DVDs containing all the computer files prepared from this material.
For each of the 20 sections, a digital compilation has been prepared, in .pdf file format. 17 of the 20 sections is available here on our website as searchable pdf's, 3 of the sections having data protection issues.
Up to around 1990, the compilations have been based mainly on Alun Thomas’s papers. For 1990-2010, further material has been added from the SWGA papers and digital archive of secretary Geraint Owen (1990-2009) and secretary Lynda Garfield (2009- ). Other members of the Group have also contributed: photographs, publications, newsletters, membership cards, Treasurer’s papers, Programme Secretary’s papers, parts of the Welsh Geological Quarterly and scans, 50th Anniversary material, and more. All are thanked for their contributions.
New Year, New Website
In January 2020 the South Wales Geologists' Association website has been rebuilt onto a platform that works well on phones and tablets as well as computer screens.
This is why there are so many posts in the January 2020 archive. This is materials that have been moved from the old website and adjusted as needed for the new platform
If you are reading this in January 2020 and you are looking for something that was on the old website then it will probably be along soon.
However if it is after that and you are still having trouble finding something then please contact us
Here are a few Odds and ends that needed to come across right away