Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
FIG
90.
Zigzag folding at Hartland Quay. (Copyright Dae Sasitorn & Adrian Warren/
www.lastrefuge.co.uk)
From Hartland Point (
b6
) to Clovelly (
b7
), the coast trends parallel to the general
direction of the Variscan folding, and many of the cliffs are of bevelled type. This prob-
ably reflects the way the coastline runs parallel to the Variscan fold direction, so that
a less dramatic cliff is generated. Low cliffs run from Clovelly to Westward Ho! (
b8
),
where there is an extensive wave-cut platform which must date from the last episodes
of Flandrian transgression (rise in sea level). This platform provides an almost con-
tinuous cross-section through the generally steeply dipping bedrock strata which have
provided valuable insights into the details of the large deltas in which the Carbonifer-
ous rivers deposited sands and muds. At low water mark along this coast, the remains
of much younger trees are sometimes visible, providing striking evidence of a much
more recent relative rise of sea level.
Landscape C: New Red Sandstone and younger bedrock
The belt of New Red Sandstone and younger sediments that skirts the older deformed
Variscan bedrocks of the Southwest Region continues northwards from Area 2 into
Area 3 (Fig. 37). In the discussion of Area 2, we saw that this arrangement of the New
Red Sandstone marks its contact with the distinct Permian landscape of hills and val-
leys that formed an edge running across the Variscan mountain belt. The same is true
further north in Area 3, where the Crediton (
c1
) and Tiverton (
c2
) basins represent re-
markably complete relicts of this very old landscape. Further north, in the Minehead
area, other valleys of this Permian landscape are visible in the present-day landscape.
