The
Geodiversity of Anglesey: Geosites
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What are Geosites?
Geological sites or geosites are places of particular importance to the
science of geology. The importance may be in their research value, by
which we may better understand the workings of Planet Earth, or in
their ability to demonstrate a particular geological feature or
process, thereby being of value in the training of the next generation
of geologists. Meanwhile others can have a wider appeal, such as
coastal sites where children can discover the delight of hunting for
fossils. Geosites can be enormous, involving many tens of miles of
coastline - such as Dorset's famous Jurassic Coast, or they may be
tiny, such as a single but nevertheless important glacial erratic.
International
Heritage Sites
Geosites are selected by a range of organisations to fulfil a variety
of purposes. The process occurs mainly at three levels. Firstly, sites
may be selected at the international or world level. For example, some
geological sites are recognised as World Heritage sites, while others
may be recognised at the European level as European Geosites.
Currently, Anglesey has one World Heritage site, Beaumaris Castle, and
although none of its geological localities is yet formally recognised
at international level, there are candidate sites.
GCR
sites - geological SSSI
Secondly, sites have been selected at the national, Great Britain,
level by the Geological Conservation Review (GCR), using geological
experts from all over the United Kingdom. These are the very best sites
in Britain for geological and geomorphological research. In Britain
there are approximately 4,000 GCR sites, with about 450 of these being
in Wales. It is the Countryside Council for Wales' (CCW) responsibility
to designate GCR sites in Wales as Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) and to notify landowners and local planning authorities of the
presence of such sites on their land. Geological SSSI are legally
protected like their biological counterparts.
RIGS
- Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites
Thirdly, sites are chosen at the local and regional level. In Britain,
this has been carried out largely by RIGS (Regionally Important
Geodiversity Sites) Groups and Earth Heritage Trusts. However, in some
areas locally important geological sites have been selected alongside
their biological counterparts as SINCs (Sites of Interest for Nature
Conservation). In Anglesey, Gwynedd & Môn RIGS Group is
selecting geosites of regional and local value as part of a wider RIGS
survey of north and central Wales.
Whereas GCR sites are selected primarily for their scientific and
research value, RIGS may be selected for historical, educational and
aesthetic reasons in addition to scientific qualities. An important
aspect of RIGS selection is to represent the distinctiveness and
character of local/regional geodiversity.
Anglesey's RIGS have been selected by a wide range of expert Earth
Scientists co-ordinated by Gwynedd & Môn RIGS Group and
funded from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) by the Welsh
Assembly Government. Unlike SSSI, RIGS are not legally protected. Most
planning authorities, like Anglesey County Council, include RIGS in
their structure plans, placing them on constraints registers and
affording protection through the planning process.
This page leads to a special section of the site, in which some of
Anglesey's Geosites are described. Please click the button below to
visit our gazeteer of Anglesey's geological heritage.
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Above: South Stack lighthouse sat on a
headland of intensely folded Precambrian sedimentary rocks - part of
the Holy Island Coast geological SSSI. Photo: Stewart Campbell.
Above: a gabbro
erratic, found during widening the A5 across Anglesey and now one of
the many RIGS on the island. Photo:
Stewart Campbell.
Above: at Din Lligwy, an ancient
Romano-British settlement was built on and from a weathered pavement of
Carboniferous Limestone. The settlement covers an area of about half an
acre and has been dated to the 4th century AD. The site includes the
remains of 9 huts, two of which are circular. Remains of hearths and
the debris they contain indicate that iron was smelted here. Photo:
Stewart Campbell.
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