GeoMôn Geosite : Porth Wen
Draft under construction
Porth Wen lies on the north coast mid way between Cemaes and Amlwch. A fascinating GeoMôn Geosite : Porth Wen is the remains of a brickworks on the coast. As well as being an interesting former industrial site, it is very scenic location reached either by an exhilarating walk along the Coastal Footpath from Cemaes or by a short walk from a minor road off the A5025.
Bricks have been made at various locations along the north Anglesey coast, there are disused brickworks close by at Cemaes and the disused ceramics at Llanlleiana. All three locations are utilising the same geo-resource.
Most of the north coast is early Cambrian green schist, or at least metamorphosed sediments within the green schist mineral facies. The headland between Porth Wen and Llanlleiana is actually underlain by Ordovician sedimentary rocks. If you have walked from Cemaes you will have seen the unconformity at Ogof Gwynfor. If you have walked from the Amlwch direction you may have noticed the unconformity in the cliffs immediately to the seaward of the brickworks where steeply dipping bright purple conglomerates overlie the green schists. If you are walking from the A5025 the path approaches the coast directly above the brickworks.
Please note : the brickworks themselves are on private land and the owner does not want trespassers.
The video shows great detail – together with some ancient maps showing what they were like. This geosite does not require trespassing on the site but rather follows the public footpath above the site along on to the headland from where all the geological features can be seen.