The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details

Plateau Beds Formation [Obsolete: use PNYF]

Computer Code: PLB Preferred Map Code: notEntered
Status Code: Full
Age range: Frasnian Age (DR) — Famennian Age (DA)
Lithological Description: [Obsolete: use PNYF] The Plateau Beds Formation unconformably overlies the Brownstones Formation. A slight angular discordance between the formations is present on Bannau Sir Gaer and Fan Brycheiniog (Allen, 1964; Lovell, 1975). Descriptions were given by Hall et al. (1973) and Taylor and Thomas (1975). The formation comprises red-brown and purple quartzitic sandstones, locally pebbly and conglomeratic, and interbeds of red-brown mudstone. The sandstones are generally harder than the Brownstones, and form resistant cappings to the Brecon Beacons.
Definition of Lower Boundary: Sharp junction where the formation unconformably overlies the softer drab red sandstones of the Brownstones Formation, a slight angular discordance between the formations being visible locally, as on Bannau Sir Gaer and Fan Brycheiniog. A quartz granule bed marks the base of the formation.
Definition of Upper Boundary: At sharp junction where the red sandstones of the formation are overlain by the grey and grey-green sandstones of the Grey Grits Formation.
Thickness: Up to 36 m.
Geographical Limits: North crop of the South Wales Coalfield from Pont Clydach [SO 740 194] and Blaen Onneu [SO 167 169].
Parent Unit: none recorded or not applicable
Previous Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Alternative Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Stratotypes:
Type Section  Cliffs at head of the Duffryn Crawnon valley, Powys, South Wales [SO 0908 1547 to SO 0930 1518]. Lovell, 1978a, b. 
Reference(s):
Lovell, R W W. 1978a. The sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Upper Old Red Sandstone and Lower Limestone Shales of the South Wales Coalfield. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Bristol. 
Lovell, R. 1975. Abercriban, Powys. Pp. 72-73 in Friend, P. F. and Williams, B. P. J. (editors). International Symposium on the Devonian System (P.A.D.S. 1978) September 1978. A field guide to selected outcrop areas of the Devonian of Scotland, the Welsh Borderland and South Wales. The Palaeontological Association. 
Strahan, A, Gibson, W, and Cantrill, T C. 1904. The geology of the South Wales Coalfield, Part V. The country around Merthyr Tydfil. First Edition. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. Sheet 231 (England and Wales). 
Waters, C N, Smith, K, Hopson, P M, Wilson, D, Bridge, D M, Carney, J N, Cooper, A H, Crofts, R G, Ellison, R A, Mathers, S J, Moorlock, B S P, Scrivener, R C, McMillan, A A, Ambrose, K, Barclay, W J, and Barron, A J M. 2007. Stratigraphical Chart of the United Kingdom: Southern Britain. British Geological Survey, 1 poster. 
1:50K maps on which the lithostratigraphical unit is found, and map code used:
E232 E230 E213 E214