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Earth Science Conservation Review
| Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Templemoyle | Londonderry |
| Site number: | 502 | ||
| ESCC: | IS | ||
| Locality Type: | Inland exposure | Status: | TBC |
| Grid Reference: | C672042,C654026 End(s) of linear site, Not Entered | ||
| Google maps: | 54.88143,-6.95298 | ||
| County: | Londonderry | Council area: | Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council |
| Period: | Quaternary | ||
| Site Description | |
|---|---|
| Description: | |
A 0.75km2 dissected wedge of flat-topped valley-fill remnants lying to the southwest of Teeavan Hill in the upper Owenrigh valley. An exposure exists at (267200 404200) of cross-bedded medium sand and pebble gravel foresets dipping generally northwards (down-valley) at 20-25ยง. Foreset heights reach 200m O.D. Laterally the deposits feather against the rising slopes of the surrounding hills (Streeve Mountain, Teeavan Hill) or are truncated by a rock-cut meltwater channel. To the south hummocky topography extends in a thinning wedge for approximately 1km to 265400 402600, the location of a poorly-exposed, flat-topped, steepsided sand and gravel body passing vertically down and laterally into diamict. This is separated from the Templemoyle deposits by the meltwater channel occupied by the Owenbeg River. Post-depositional erosion has resulted in the dissection of the delta into three fragments separated by steep sided rock-cut meltwater channels now occupied by the Cushcupal Water, Glenranda Water and the Altnaheglish River. The channel occupied by the Owenrigh river forms an excellent steep-sided, flat-bottomed example of this landform. The course of the misfit Finglen River now occupies a channel diverted by the southerly extent of the deposits at (266000, 402800). An area of highly intensively quarried sand and gravel, it contains both active and disused large scale quarries (approximately 0.3km2 in total). The quarry sites, containing derelict machinery, spoil and washed aggregate heaps, perched high on the meltwater channel slopes are visually obtrusive along the upper half of the Owenrigh valley. The meltwater channel valley bottoms have been designated a Nature Reserve. INTERPRETATION The foreset dips indicate ice frontal retreat generally southwards towards the Sperrin mountains, with glaciofluvial sediments from this direction passing into a water body ponded in the Owenrigh bedrock depression at ~200m O.D. Meltwater erosion has resulted in dissection of the once flat-topped Gilbert-type delta and flushed out possible bottomsets infilling the Owenrigh valley. | |
| Interpretation: | |
The foreset dips indicate ice frontal retreat generally southwards towards the Sperrin mountains, with glaciofluvial sediments from this direction passing into a water body ponded in the Owenrigh bedrock depression at ~200m O.D. Meltwater erosion has resulted in dissection of the once flat-topped Gilbert-type delta and flushed out possible bottomsets infilling the Owenrigh valley. | |
| Notes: | |
For site specific information on other sites within the Faughan and Dungiven Basins see the following sites: Key Site 499 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - The Murnies Key Site 500 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Derrynaflaw Key Site 501 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Banagher Key Site 503 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Tamnagh Key Site 504 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Cumber Key Site 505 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Gosheden Key Site 506 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Fawney Key Site 507 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Enagh For overview information and references on the Faughan and Dungiven Basins see the following site: Key Site 470 - Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Overview For general information and references on the sand and gravel landscapes of N. Ireland, and for directions to other regional sand and gravel sites, see the following site: Key Site 439 - Introduction to the Sand and Gravel Landscapes of N. Ireland This site is also a Site of Local Nature Conservation Importance. See Key Site 754 - Templemoyle. | |
| Keywords | |
|---|---|
| Rocks: | Gravel, Sand |
| Relations: | Glacio-fluvial sediment |
| Geomorph: | deltas |
| Record type: | ESCR report | ||
| Entered by: | E M Porter | ||
| Last updated: | 6 Jun 2005 | ||
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Faughan and Dungiven Basins - Templemoyle, County Londonderry, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=502. Accessed on 2026-11-06. |
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