If the Swansea Uni students using the new Bay Campus have the chance to enjoy the beach in front of them, they will find, as I did on my walk this week, that some of the sand of the beach is made up of what appears to be old coal dust. This is entirely possible of course, given the industrial history of the area.
What I enjoyed about this aspect of the beach was the contrast in colour between the sand and coal dust and the definition of tide patterns that contrast created.
A fascinating discovery Alastair, and a glimpse of the industrial past.
Thanks Jet. Where there is sand on the South Wales coast, there are patches of this dark grit. Pretty much all the ports along the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel were involved directly or indirectly with the export of coal in the past and there are many stories of wreck and rescue to be told.