In transcribing the following passage from Smith’s text, I have begun with the rough OCR material provided by the Internet Archive and then collated it with the Internet Archive’s page images. If you spot any errors, please notify the webmaster. — George P. Landow
Considering the limestone district of Glamorgan and Pembroke, with the coal behind it, apart from the rest of Wales, and the coal and limestone of Flintshire and parts-adjacent also, the rest of the principality partakes of one common character. It is more or less elevated, and composed of those strata of which the most mountainous parts of this island are generally formed. Some of the red marl, and the soft sandstone which accompanies it, seems to approach the eastern border both of North and of South Wales; but, in either case, occupies only a small part, in Denbighshire and the vale of Glamorgan. The more general appearance of red along the eastern border, against Herefordshire and Shropshire, thence extending north and north-westward to its termination in the sea at Rhyddlan, in the vale of Clwyd, and extending south-west through Breconshire to Carmarthen Bay, and so westward to Saint Bride's Bay, is part red sandstone, other stone, and red marl interspersed, which generally lies between the coal-fields and the slate. This forms a series of round-topped hills, or sugar-loaf mountains; which give a pleasing variety of surface to many parts of its extensive course; and, though very uneven, its soil is generally dry and fit for tillage.
A rougher surface succeeds, which is frequently interspersed with hard naked rocks, or large detached blocks of stone.
The rocks of, this range of strata, between the red and killas, alternate with courses of hard blue and soft black beds of slate, and other stone, and with strata of imperfect limestone. As these hard strata form the breastwork of the mountains, so the killas and other rocks, approaching to basalt, seem to complete their most lofty summits.
Smith’s Description of Other Parts of Great Britain
Related material
- Smith’s Explanation of His Map of Geological Strata in England and Wales
- The History of the Idea of Geological Strata before William Smith’s Formulation and Map
- Wales (sitemap)
Bibliography
Smith, William. A Memoir to the Map and Delineation of Strata of England and Wales. London: John Cary, 1815.
Created 11 September 2018