Events & Courses

The Geological Society Earth Science Week takes place between 13-19 October 2014, and will be celebrating ‘Our Geoheritage’. The British Geomorphological Society will be supporting the event by coordinating a series of guided walks to sites of geomorphological interest.

Event Overview:

Time: 10am – 4pm
Start: Porter’s Lodge, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB.
Difficulty: Low

The dissected upland plateaux of mid Wales have intrigued geomorphologists and geologists for over a century.

Sites in the Afon Rheidol catchment have been the focus of investigations related to long-term valley development and river capture, Quaternary river evolution, hydrology (including the formation of soil pipes), impacts of mining, and recent river channel change. Some of the more picturesque sites have also attracted the attention of tourists, artists and photographers since the Victorian era and rivers in flood have provided inspiration for Welsh poets since the medieval period.

More recently the landscape attracted the producers of the detective series Hinterland. However, little information on the formation or significance of these sites is available for the interested visitor.

This geomorphological tour of the Afon Rheidol catchment will focus on:

1. Incised bedrock meanders at Ponterwyd;
2. Potholes and narrow gorge at Parsons Bridge;
3. The waterfalls at Devil’s Bridge;
4. Bedrock reaches including well-formed potholes and other sculpted forms at Cwm Rheidol and Rheidol Falls;
5. A site of recent channel avulsion and biodiversity at Lovesgrove, including a discussion of river management challenges.

Travel to and between sites will be by car, and will be arranged based on the number of participants. Participants will also be required to pay a £1 entry fee to Devil’s Bridge.

• Please email Hywel Griffiths to register your interest.

Find out more about Earth Science Week 2014 Events & Activities