Structural geology of Little Haven and The Settlands

The cliffs from Little Haven to Broad Haven (and northward) display a spectacular range of geological structures, folding, faulting and thrusting, mainly in the Lower Coal Measures. The relatively weak mudstone and shale-dominated sequences show much incompetent deformation: tight, thrusted and overturned folds, in contrast to the thicker, stronger, sandstones which have formed relatively open and concentric folds.

This is a closer view of the complexly folded and thrusted sequence in the central part of the The Settlands. The relatively weak mudstone and shale sequence has deformed incompetently.

In the centre, an anticline with a vertical/slightly overturned northern limb is separated by a near-horizontal thrust from the gently dipping shales just above the beach pebbles.

To the right, a curved slice of siltstones/thin sandstones is itself thrusted over the horizontal thrust. The dark shale bed in the centre of the photo is approximately at the horizon of the Amman Marine Band, which can be followed, despite the structural complexity, northwards (left) to The Rain headland.

See notes for individual descriptions of areas on the photo.