Cosheston Group

Summary

The Cosheston Group is an early Devonian lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) in west Wales. The name is derived from the village of Cosheston in south Pembrokeshire. The Group comprises (in ascending order) the Llanstadwell, Burton Cliff, Mill Bay, Lawrenny Cliff and New Shipping formations. The strata are exposed in the Milford Haven area of southern Pembrokeshire where several partial type sections are defined. The outcrop extends around the northern and southern shores of the Haven. It is bounded to the north by the Benton Fault between the villages of Rosemarket and Lawrenny, and extends east to New Shipping and west almost to the town of Milford Haven itself.[1] The rocks of this group have also previously been known as the Cosheston Beds.[2]

Cosheston Group
Stratigraphic range: Lochkovian to Emsian (Devonian)
TypeGroup
Unit ofOld Red Sandstone Supergroup
Sub-unitsNew Shipping Formation, Lawrenny Cliff Formation, Mill Bay Formation, Burton Cliff Formation, Llanstadwell Formation
UnderliesAvon Group (unconformity)
OverliesGelliswick Bay Formation
Thicknessup to 1800m
Lithology
Primarysandstones, siltstones
Otherconglomerates
Location
CountryWales
Extentsouth Pembrokeshire
Type section
Named forCosheston

Stratigraphy edit

Llanstadwell, Burton Cliff and Mill Bay formations edit

This sequence is largely green sandstones with lesser amounts of red sandstone and including intraformational conglomerates and some siltstones.

Lawrenny Cliff and New Shipping formations edit

These are similar to the underlying formations but are characterised by a coarser grain size. Conglomerates in these two formations have a great diversity of clasts within them.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ British Geological Survey 1:50,000 scale geological map (England & Wales) sheet 228 Haverfordwest
  2. ^ http://www.bgs.ac.uk/Lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=COB (BGS on-line lexicon of rock units)
  3. ^ Howells, M.F. 2007 British Regional Geology: Wales (Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey)