The Gop facts for kids
The Gop (Welsh: Coparleni) is an ancient monument in Wales. It is also known as Gop Cairn or Gop-y-Goleuni. This special place is a neolithic monument. Neolithic means it was built a very, very long time ago, during the New Stone Age.
You can find the Gop in Flintshire, northwest of Trelawnyd. It sits within the beautiful Clwydian Range. People think it might have been a look-out point or a hill fort because there was a lot of stone at the top.
What is the Gop?
The Gop is a large, oval-shaped mound. It is the second-biggest neolithic mound in all of Britain! Only Silbury Hill in Wiltshire is larger.
What did people find there?
Scientists have dug into the Gop and the caves below it. They found very old remains from prehistoric times. These finds help us learn about the people who lived there long ago.
Even though it's a big mound, no burial chambers or underground rooms have been found inside. This makes experts think it was used for other things. It might have been a place to watch for danger, like a look-out. Or it could have been a hill fort to protect people. There was a lot of stone on top, which supports this idea.
In the 1600s, the Gop's high position made it a perfect spot for a beacon. A beacon is a signal fire, often used to warn people or guide ships.
Where is Gop Hill?
The Gop mound sits on top of Gop Hill. This hill is a natural limestone rock that stands 823 feet (about 251 meters) high. The Gop Caves are found in the side of Gop Hill.
