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