Pembrokeshire

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. This is a closer view of the small anticline at the southern end of The Settlands. This open, concentric fold is comprised mostly of strong, competent sandstones in the core, overlain by dark shaly beds. The sandsones may possibly be correlated with the sandstones in the large and well-developed Fox Hole anticline situated immediately to the south (right), althought there is a significant fault between the two features and the correlation is by no means certain.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The cliffs at the east end of The Settlands bay display a series of complexly thrusted, folded and faulted Lower Coal Measures rocks. The folds are overturned to the north, becoming nearly recumbent (low-angle fold axes) near the northern headland, known as 'The Rain', seen here on the left. The complexity of the folding is mostly due to the predominance of weak mudstones and shales which undergo incompetent deformation, in contrast to the open folding in the strong sandstone Fox Hole anticline in previous photos, and in the less disturbed but overturned sandstone sequence on the left of this photo. The principal structure in the central region of the photo is a nearly recumbent fold with several associated thrusts. There are two main thrusts and several smaller thrust splays which result in repetition of the strata, mainly around the horizon of the Amman Marine Band. Yellow arrows indicate the 'way up', younging direction, of the beds. Interpretation linework carried out using Affinity Designer software. More detailed view here: This is a generalised geological interpretation of the previous photo here:

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The cliffs at the east end of The Settlands bay display a series of complexly thrusted, folded and faulted Lower Coal Measures rocks. The folds are overturned to the north, becoming nearly recumbent (low-angle fold axes) near the northern headland, known as 'The Rain', seen here on the left. The complexity of the folding is mostly due to the predominance of weak mudstones and shales which undergo incompetent deformation, in contrast to the open folding in the strong sandstone Fox Hole anticline in previous photos, and in the less disturbed but overturned sandstone sequence on the left of this photo. The principal structure in the central region of the photo is a nearly recumbent fold with several associated thrusts. There are two main thrusts and several smaller thrust splays which result in repetition of the strata, mainly around the horizon of the Amman Marine Band. More detailed view here: A generalised geological interpretation is given in the adjacent photo here:

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The cliffs at the east end of the The Settlands bay display a series of complexly thrusted, folded and faulted Lower Coal Measures rocks. The folds are overturned to the north, becoming nearly recumbent (low-angle fold axes) near the northern headland, known as 'The Rain'. The complexity of the folding is mostly due to the predominance of weak mudstones and shales which undergo incompetent deformation, in contrast to the open folding in the strong sandstone Fox Hole anticline in previous photos. This is a generalised geological interpretation of the visible structures in the previous photo: www.ipernity.com/doc/earthwatcher/49995364 There are two main thrusts and several smaller thrust splays which result in repetition of the strata, mainly around the horizon of the Amman Marine Band. The weaker mud-rich rocks have deformed and thickened into the axial crests of the folds and usually display a degree of axial planar cleavage. The folds are mainly overturned anticlines; the synclines have been cut out by thrusting. The small anticline visible on the right may possibly be comprised of the uppermost beds of the Fox Hole sandstone, but the correlation is very uncertain. See notes for links to detailed views. The background photo is a panoramic view consisting of three landscape photos stiched together in Affinity Photo sofware. Interpretation linework carried out using Affinity Designer software.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The cliffs at the east end of the The Settlands bay display a series of complexly thrusted, folded and faulted Lower Coal Measures rocks. The folds are overturned to the north, becoming nearly recumbent (low-angle fold axes) near the northern headland, known as 'The Rain'. The complexity of the folding is mostly due to the predominance of weak mudstones and shales which undergo incompetent deformation, in contrast to the open folding in the strong sandstone Fox Hole anticline in previous photos. There are two main thrusts and several smaller thrust splays which result in repetition of the strata, mainly around the horizon of the Amman Marine Band. The weaker mud-rich rocks have deformed and thickened into the axial crests of the folds and usually display a degree of axial planar cleavage. The folds are mainly overturned anticlines; the synclines have been cut out by thrusting. The small anticline visible on the right may possibly be comprised of the uppermost beds of the Fox Hole sandstone, but the correlation is very uncertain. See notes for links to detailed views. The adjacent photo gives a geological interpretation of the visible structures. www.ipernity.com/doc/earthwatcher/49998924 This photo is a panoramic view consisting of three landscape photos stiched together in Affinity Photo sofware.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The northern limb of the Fox Hole anticline forms the southern headland of The Settlands bay. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the thick (approx 70 m in total) and competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. At the western end of the headland the bedding dips at about 30° to the north, but this steepens along its length to become near-vertical at the eastern end of the headland. This is a view from The Settlands looking head-on at the steeply dipping bedding surfaces. The bedding is cut by nurmerous joints (fractures). Just left of centre is a fenced-off mine entrance a few metres above beach level. This is thought to be a former drainage level to dewater coal mine workings, possibly in the core of the anticline and perhaps further inland.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The northern limb of the Fox Hole anticline forms the southern headland of The Settlands bay. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the thick (approx 70 m in total) and competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. At the western end of the headland the bedding dips at about 30° to the north, but this steepens along its length to become near-vertical at the eastern end of the headland. This is a view looking head-on at the steeply dipping bedding surfaces. The bedding is cut by nurmerous joints (fractures) which in this case has been enlarged by erosion to form a shallow sea cave at beach level. Someone has lit a candle on a rack inside the cave. Perhaps a memorial to a loved one?

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The northern limb of the Fox Hole anticline forms the southern headland of The Settlands bay. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the thick (approx 70 m in total) and competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. At the western end of the headland the bedding dips at about 30° to the north, but this steepens along its length to become near-vertical at the far end of the headland as seen here, where the anticline is abruptly terminated by a fault (running more or less parallel to the shadow edge). The southerly (right) dipping rocks at the far left are on the southern limb of a small anticline and may possibly be comprised of the uppermost beds of the Fox Hole sandstone, but the correlation is very uncertain. Folding, faulting and thrusting make determination of the exact stratigraphic correlation of the Fox Hole sandstone difficult, but it is reasonably clear that this is the lowest stratigraphic unit in the Little Haven area and is well down in the Lower Coal Measures sequence.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. The northern limb of the Fox Hole anticline forms the southern headland of The Settlands bay. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the thick (approx 70 m in total) and competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. At the western end of the headland (nearest in view) the bedding dips at about 30° to the north, but this steepens along its length to become near-vertical at the far end of the headland, where the anticline is abruptly terminated by a fault. The small anticline visible at the far left may possibly be comprised of the uppermost beds of the Fox Hole sandstone, but the correlation is very uncertain. Folding, faulting and thrusting make determination of the exact stratigraphic correlation of the Fox Hole sandstone difficult, but it is reasonably clear that this is the lowest stratigraphic unit in the Little Haven area and is well down in the Lower Coal Measures sequence.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. This is a close up view of the northern limb of the Fox Hole anticline taken from beach level. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the thick (approx 70 m in total) and competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. The sandstone displays a number of sedimentary features, including cross-bedding and channel erosion (visible just above and to the right of centre), formed by deposition in a high-energy delta distributary channel setting. Restoring the anticline to its 'unfolded' condition, these sedimentary structures then indicate a general current flow direction from south-west to north-east. Folding, faulting and thrusting make determination of the exact stratigraphic correlation of the Fox Hole sandstone difficult, but it is reasonably clear that this is the lowest stratigraphic unit in the Little Haven area and is well down in the Lower Coal Measures sequence.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. This is a view of the Fox Hole anticline taken from beach level. The style of folding is open and concentric, largely due to the competent (strong) nature of the sandstone of which it is comprised. A thin coal in the core of the anticline has largely been extracted by mining. The sandstone displays a number of sedimentary features, including cross-bedding and channel erosion, formed by deposition in a high-energy delta distributary channel setting. Restoring the anticline to its 'unfolded' condition, these sedimentary structures then indicate a general current flow direction from south-west to north-east. Folding, faulting and thrusting make determination of the exact stratigraphic correlation of the Fox Hole sandstone difficult, but it is reasonably clear that this is the lowest stratigraphic unit in the Little Haven area and is well down in the Lower Coal Measures sequence.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. This is an annotated geological interpretation of the original photo here: www.ipernity.com/doc/earthwatcher/48414290 In this northerly view, the largely concentric Fox Hole anticline, comprised of orange-brown sandstone is visible left of centre. The core of the anticline has been at least partly formed by coal mining activity. To the right of the anticline, a tight syncline is developed (below the yellow house), followed by a tight anticline which has a shattered core, due to the 'space problem' of folding these relatively strong rocks. Photo comprised of two landscape photos stiched together with Photoshop software. Interpretation linework carried out using Affinity Designer software.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. In this northerly view, the largely concentric Fox Hole anticline, comprised of orange-brown sandstone is visible left of centre. The core of the anticline has been at least partly formed by coal mining activity. To the right of the anticline, a tight syncline is developed (below the yellow house), followed by a tight anticline which has a shattered core, due to the 'space problem' of folding these relatively strong rocks. A full geological interpretation is shown in the adjacent photo here: www.ipernity.com/doc/earthwatcher/50001258 Photo comprised of two landscape photos stiched together with Photoshop software.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. In this northerly view looking over Rooks Bay in the foreground, the largely concentric Fox Hole anticline is comprised of orange-brown sandstone is visible on the centre right. The cave in core of the anticline has been at least partly formed by coal mining activity. The large bay in the centre is The Settlands. The northern headland of the bay is known as 'The Rain' and consists mostly of sandstones dipping steeply southwards (towards the camera), but actually overturned to the north. Broad Haven beach is visible in the distance beyond The Rain just left of centre.

Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds. In this northerly view, the largely concentric Fox Hole anticline is comprised of orange-brown sandstone is visible on the centre right. The cave in core of the anticline has been at least partly formed by coal mining activity. The large bay in the centre is The Settlands. The northern headland of the bay is known as 'The Rain' and consists mostly of sandstones dipping steeply southwards (towards the camera), but actually overturned to the north. Broad Haven beach is visible beyond The Rain towards the upper left.

Nolton Haven to Newgale The small Nolton-Newgale coalfield is separated by faulting from the main Pembrokeshire coalfield. It lies mostly within Pennant Sandstone Formation of the Upper Coal Measures rocks. Heading north along the coast path from Rickets Head, the open expanse of Newgale Sands dominates view. Seaward dipping beds of the Pennant Sandstone Formation form the wave-cut platform in the foreground and the cliffs on the right. The cliffs in the distant, north, side of the bay are comprised of Cambrian sediments and Pre-Cambrian volcanics.

Nolton Haven to Newgale The small Nolton-Newgale coalfield is separated by faulting from the main Pembrokeshire coalfield. It lies mostly within Pennant Sandstone Formation of the Upper Coal Measures rocks. Heading north along the coast path from Rickets Head, the site of Trefrane Cliff Colliery comes into view, with its spoil heaps and prominent furnace chimney. The colliery worked the Cliff Vein coal seam, pieces of which can be readily found in the spoil heaps. A Small Copper butterfly, Lycaena phlaeas , visits a Cat's-ear flower, Hypochaeris radicata , growing on one of the spoil heaps.

Nolton Haven to Newgale The small Nolton-Newgale coalfield is separated by faulting from the main Pembrokeshire coalfield. It lies mostly within Pennant Sandstone Formation of the Upper Coal Measures rocks. Heading north along the coast path from Rickets Head, the site of Trefrane Cliff Colliery comes into view, with its spoil heaps and prominent furnace chimney. The colliery worked the Cliff Vein coal seam, pieces of which can be readily found in the spoil heaps. Looking over St Brides Bay, Ramsey Island is visible on the skyline just right of centre.