Hope, near the nature reserve on the A488, has small stream-bank shale exposures where trilobites and graptolites have occasionally been found. The wider valley preserves a much richer scientific record, including volcanic ash, fossil type localities and a younger Silurian sandstone succession. Those named research sites are distinct from the short stream visit described here. Ordovician, Stream Embankment, Rating: ♦
Upper Gilwern Quarry, near Howey in Powys, is known for its well-preserved Ordovician trilobites, from tiny growth stages to occasional complete specimens. Its fine-grained rocks record an ancient marine environment. This privately owned quarry is available to booked accommodation guests under the operator’s current access and collecting conditions. Ordovician, Private Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
A small stream cutting near Bettws exposes Ordovician mudstone with occasional trilobite fragments and graptolites. Its dark, fissile rocks offer a close view of marine life preserved in a much older succession than many of the surrounding Silurian hills. Ordovician, Stream cutting, Rating: ♦♦
