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:
Trelawnyd Churchyard Cross Criccin Cross Prestatyn Roman SiteCrown Wood Round Barrow Round Barrow on Coed Yr Esgob Offa's Dyke: Section North West of Tre Abbot-Fawr Dyserth Castle Cae Gwyn CaveRound Barrow 450m South West of Glol Farm Barrow on E Slope of Gop Hill Prestatyn Castle Coed Shepherd Round Barrow Round Barrow at Coed Bell, Gronant Round Barrows North West of Axton Baptist Chapel Round Barrow 225m E of Village Clive Engine House, Meliden Maen Achwyfan Round Barrow 270m E of Axton Baptist Chapel Pen-y-graig round barrow Tynewdd round barrow Berthen-Gam Round Barrow Offa's Dyke: Tan-y-Graig Section Pont Dafydd (old) Gop Cairn Criafol Round Barrow Round Barrow 400m SE of Tai Marian Round Barrow West of Ty Draw Barrows 378m E of Berthen-Gam School Round Barrow 270m NW of Traveller's Inn Ffynnon Beuno CaveSt Elmo's Summer House Round Barrows Coed Glyn-Bach Round Barrow Round Barrow 153m NW of Plas yn Rhos Offa's Dyke: Section E of Trelawnyd Pennant Mines Winding Engine House & Chimney, RhualltTwo Round Barrows on Moel Maen Efa Moel Hiraddug Hillfort The Gop Caves Bryn yr Odyn Round Barrow Coed-y-bryn round barrow Pant Ifan Round Barrow Siamber-Wen Medieval House Coed Bron-Fawr Round Barrow Round Barrow 800m NE of Criafol Farm Tyn-y-caeau round barrow Brynbella Mound, and sections of Offas Dyke adjoining it. Hen-dy round barrow Round Barrow 225m E of Minffordd Cottage Offa's Dyke: Section North of Crown Inn Glol Camp Three Round Barrows in Cwm Wood Round Barrow 350m SW of Glol Farm Bryn Digrif Round Barrows .
