Gop Cairn by Arthur S
Gop Hill Cairn
Gop Cairn is the largest Prehistoric mound in Wales and second only to Silbury Hill, Wiltshire in Britain. An enormous limestone cairn on the summit of a prominent limestone ridge above Trelawnyd, Gop Hill summit looks out over Prestatyn, Rhyl, Llandudno, The Great Orme and the mountains of Snowdonia.
Gop Cairn is around 12m in height above the level of the ridge to the East but around 15m higher than the ground to the South and West, even more so with regard to the slopes on its northern side. The length of the cairn on the long-side is around 25 metres by 15 metres. The top of the mound is depressed towards the centre due to excavations undertaken for Boyd-Dawkins, a professor in the 1880s. Boyd-Dawkins’ excavations established that the core of the cairn was of massive limestone blocks and recovered a number of flint artefacts but no burials.
On the slopes to the South is Gop Cave from which Boyd-Dawkins excavated several presumed Neolithic burials from stone chambers with in the cave.
Created: 31 May 2021 Edited: 29 November 2023
Gop Hill Cairn
Gop Hill Cairn LiDAR Map
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Local History around Gop Hill Cairn
There are some historic monuments around including:
Gop Cairn Coed Shepherd Round Barrow Round Barrow 450m South West of Glol Farm Pen-y-graig round barrow Round Barrows North West of Axton Baptist Chapel Pont Dafydd (old) Round Barrow West of Ty Draw Tyn-y-caeau round barrow Offa's Dyke: Section E of Trelawnyd Prestatyn Roman SiteCoed-y-bryn round barrow Offa's Dyke: Tan-y-Graig Section Round Barrow on Coed Yr Esgob Criccin Cross Round Barrow 225m E of Minffordd Cottage Round Barrow 800m NE of Criafol Farm Ffynnon Beuno CaveBerthen-Gam Round Barrow Pennant Mines Winding Engine House & Chimney, RhualltCriafol Round Barrow St Elmo's Summer House Round Barrows Offa's Dyke: Section North West of Tre Abbot-Fawr Siamber-Wen Medieval House Glol Camp Two Round Barrows on Moel Maen Efa Round Barrow 270m E of Axton Baptist Chapel Dyserth Castle Bryn yr Odyn Round Barrow Trelawnyd Churchyard Cross Hen-dy round barrow Cae Gwyn CaveMaen Achwyfan The Gop Caves Brynbella Mound, and sections of Offas Dyke adjoining it. Tynewdd round barrow Three Round Barrows in Cwm Wood Bryn Digrif Round Barrows Coed Glyn-Bach Round Barrow Clive Engine House, Meliden Barrow on E Slope of Gop Hill Round Barrow at Coed Bell, Gronant Offa's Dyke: Section North of Crown Inn Pant Ifan Round Barrow Round Barrow 350m SW of Glol Farm Round Barrow 153m NW of Plas yn Rhos Barrows 378m E of Berthen-Gam School Round Barrow 270m NW of Traveller's Inn Round Barrow 400m SE of Tai Marian Crown Wood Round Barrow Round Barrow 225m E of Village Coed Bron-Fawr Round Barrow Prestatyn Castle Moel Hiraddug Hillfort .
