July 2026

One thing guaranteed to ensure a Friends full house is an event led by archaeologist Fiona Gale and our recent visit to Gop Hill outside Trelawnyd was no exception. In pleasant sunny, if windy, conditions after the June heatwave, over 20 of us made the short uphill walk to this wonderful prehistoric man-made mound, the second largest in the UK after Silbury Hill in Wiltshire – and with much better views! Fiona was the perfect guide, giving us fascinating detail about this iconic part of our National Landscape.

We began our climb from the village car park, threading our way through the gorse with Impressive limestone outcrops beneath our feet. Our first stop was the magnificent Gop cave. Fiona explained that this was the actual burial site on the Gop as opposed to the earthwork at the hill top. In the chamber here was where ancient human remains had been found together with pottery, an axe head and other important artifacts, giving us clues as to what life was like over 5000 years ago in the Neolithic period. Fiona answered our many questions with her customary expertise and good humour, pointing out that there was a great deal that we didn’t and could never know about these ancient sites. Hopefully there would be opportunity to discover more in the future.

Then is was on to the summit itself, over 800 feet above sea level and crowned by its magnificent man made mound. Fiona explained that the mound had been excavated by Victorian archaeologist Boyd Dawkins and his team in the 1880’s. The small hollow beneath the highest point was where the excavation was situated. She recalled that nothing had been found to indicate burials and it was more likely that the site was of ritual importance as a landmark and a beacon. There were many stories involving the Gop, including a legend the Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, had fought the Romans here. That set us all thinking!

Fiona’s final stop was on an area of loose limestone near to the summit where the possibility of a second burial site was considered a possibility. Hopefully, there will be a chance to discover more about the Gop’s hidden secrets sometime in the future. It was time to return to our cars but not before a last look at our surrounding from this outstanding viewpoint – the Clwydian Range and the mouth of the Dee Estuary nearby and more distant views to Eryri, north-west England and out to the Irish Sea. Breathtaking! – the northern end of our NL has so much to offer. Many thanks Fiona for yet another of your memorable events – and thanks to all joining Friends for their support and company.

Gop Hill ar ei orau

Gorffennaf 2026

Un peth sy’n sicr o ddenu tyrfa lawn o aelodau’r gymdeithas ‘Friends’ yw digwyddiad dan arweiniad yr archeolegydd Fiona Gale, ac nid oedd ein hymweliad diweddar â Gop Hill, ger Trelawnyd, yn eithriad. Mewn tywydd braf a heulog – er ei fod yn wyntog – ac ar ôl cyfnod o dywydd poeth ym mis Mehefin, aeth dros 20 ohonom ar y daith gerdded fer i fyny’r allt at y domen ragorol hon a wnaed gan ddyn yn y cyfnod cynhanesyddol; hon yw’r ail fwyaf yn y DU ar ôl Silbury Hill yn Wiltshire – ac mae’r golygfeydd yn llawer gwell! Fiona oedd y tywysydd perffaith, gan rannu manylion hynod ddiddorol am y rhan eiconig hon o’n Tirwedd Genedlaethol.

Dechreuon ni’r dringo o faes parcio’r pentref, gan wneud ein ffordd drwy’r eithin gyda chreigiau calchfaen trawiadol o dan ein traed. Ein stop cyntaf oedd ogof odidog y Gop. Esboniodd Fiona mai dyma oedd y safle claddu gwirioneddol ar y Gop, yn hytrach na’r gwaith pridd ar ben y bryn. Yn y siambr yma y cafwyd hyd i weddillion dynol hynafol ynghyd â photeli, pen bwyell ac arteffactau pwysig eraill, gan roi cliwiau i ni am sut beth oedd bywyd dros 5,000 o flynyddoedd yn ôl yn y cyfnod Neolithig. Atebodd Fiona ein cwestiynau niferus gyda’i harbenigedd a’i hiwmor arferol, gan nodi bod llawer iawn na wyddom – ac na fyddwn byth yn ei wybod – am y safleoedd hynafol hyn. Gobeithio y bydd cyfle i ddarganfod mwy yn y dyfodol.

Yna aethom ymlaen i’r copa ei hun, dros 800 troedfedd uwch lefel y môr, gyda’r domen odidog a wnaed gan ddyn yn goron arno. Esboniodd Fiona fod y domen wedi’i chloddio gan yr archeolegydd Fictoraidd Boyd Dawkins a’i dîm yn yr 1880au. Yn yr iselder bach o dan y pwynt uchaf yr oedd y gwaith cloddio wedi’i leoli. Nododd na chafwyd hyd i ddim byd i awgrymu bod pobl wedi’u claddu yno, ac roedd yn fwy tebygol bod y safle o bwysigrwydd defodol fel nodwedd amlwg yn y dirwedd ac fel man ar gyfer goleuadau signal. Roedd llawer o straeon yn ymwneud â’r Gop, gan gynnwys chwedl bod Boudicca, Brenhines yr Iceni, wedi ymladd yn erbyn y Rhufeiniaid yno. Roedd hynny’n rhoi bwyd i’n meddyliau!

Stop olaf Fiona oedd ar ardal o galchfaen rhydd ger y copa, lle’r oedd posibilrwydd o ail safle claddu yn cael ei ystyried. Gobeithio y bydd cyfle i ddarganfod mwy am gyfrinachau cudd y Gop rywbryd yn y dyfodol. Roedd hi’n bryd dychwelyd i’n ceir, ond nid cyn bwrw golwg olaf ar yr olygfa o’r man gwylio rhagorol hwn – Bryniau Clwyd a cheg Aber Afon Dyfrdwy gerllaw, ynghyd â golygfeydd pellach tuag at Eryri, gogledd-orllewin Lloegr a Môr Iwerddon. Yn syfrdanol! – mae gan ben gogleddol ein hardal (NL) gymaint i’w gynnig. Diolch yn fawr, Fiona, am un arall o’ch digwyddiadau cofiadwy – a diolch i’r holl aelodau o’r ‘Friends’ am eu cefnogaeth a’u cwmni.