This research explores historical landslide distribution and impacts in Wales as interpreted from newspaper records held by the National Library of Wales. The inventory documents landslide events spanning almost 100 years, providing information on their locations, timing, failure mechanisms, impacts and triggering factors.
Zoom to your area of interest to show all landslides. Select a marker to view basic landslide information. For further details on the location, timing, failure mode, ground conditions and impacts of a landslide event, please contact the authors (details below).
450 landslides with location confidence within 5km shown. Please note location confidence included in popup.
The image below captures the damage caused by a landslide at Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taf in August 1916. You can read more about the landslide on Dave Petley's landslide blog in Eos here.
Tom St John and Dafydd Tudor
The publication presents the methodology, findings, statistics and plots associated with the historical landslide inventory.
Please reference this dataset as:
St John, T., and Tudor, D. (2026). Landsliding in the nineteenth and early twentieth century in Wales, UK: compilation and interpretation of inventory from digitized newspaper records. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 59(3).
Read the QJEGH paper via the Lyell Collection ↗Preview and request related publications by the authors here ↗
The information presented on this website is provided for research, educational and general information. It is not an authoritative or exhaustive record of historical landsliding.
The dataset is derived from historical records, which may be incomplete, ambiguous or otherwise inaccurate. No representation, warranty or guarantee is given as to its accuracy, completeness, currency, reliability, suitability or fitness for any particular purpose.
A mapped point should not be assumed to represent the exact position or extent of a historical landslide. Historical place names, descriptions of geographical features, changes in landscapes and infrastructure and other factors, all affect the interpretation of an event's location.
The dataset must not be used as a substitute for site-specific investigation, professional geological or geotechnical assessment, engineering advice, land surveying, planning assessment or any other form of specialist professional judgement. The mapped information does not indicate, and must not be relied upon to determine, the presence or absence of landslide hazards, safety or stability of land or property, inform construction or development decisions, suitability of land for any proposed use. Historical records do not necessarily indicate current or future hazard.
Use of this website is entirely at the user's own risk. Users are responsible for independently assessing the suitability, accuracy and reliability of the information (and its ultimate source) for their intended purpose and for verifying any information upon which they intend to rely.
The authors accept no liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense arising out of or in connection with access to, use of, interpretation of, reliance upon, inability to access, or errors or omissions within the website or dataset. This includes, without limitation, any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or economic loss, loss of profit, loss of data, property damage, personal injury or other loss arising from decisions or actions taken in reliance upon the information provided.
Historical information and other material may be derived from third-party sources. The inclusion of such material does not imply endorsement by those sources or organisations.
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