Why are these hills called Gog Magog? The Gog Magog Hills offer more than just a scenic view. They hold a history stretching back through the ages. Today we are standing at the Gog Magog Hills/Downs and Golf Course.
The Gog Magog Hills are a range of low chalk hills. They extend southeast of Cambridge. The highest points include Telegraph Clump at 246 feet. Little Trees Hill and Wandlebury Hill both reach 243 feet.
Long ago, these hills witnessed the lives of people from the Bronze Age. Iron Age inhabitants also left their mark. Random excavations have revealed Iron Age defenses at Copley Hill and Cherry Hinton. These sites were likely occupied even earlier during the Bronze Age.
One of the best-preserved sites is Wandlebury Ring. It features concentric ditches and earthen walls. Wooden palisades once reinforced these defenses. Archaeological finds here include bronze and iron objects. Pottery known as Knobbed Ware has also been found dating back to the Bronze Age.
The name Gog Magog has an interesting story. It is not native to these hills. The earliest known mention of the name “Gog Magog” appeared in 1574. A decree forbade students from visiting the hills under penalty of a fine.
In Welsh mythology, Gogmagog was a giant. Geoffrey of Monmouth described him in his Historia Regum Britanniae. Gogmagog was one of the original inhabitants of Albion. He was defeated by Corineus. Corineus threw him from a cliff.
Many theories surround the hills and their name. One author even suggested they were the site of Homer’s Troy. However scholars do not take this seriously.
T. C. Lethbridge claimed to have found ancient hill figures. He said they were buried in the chalk. These figures supposedly represented a sun-god a moon-goddess and a warrior-god. Lethbridge’s claims are controversial and not widely accepted.
“Telegraph clump” was part of a semaphore line. This optical telegraph system connected London and Great Yarmouth. It operated from the 1820s to around 1850.
Since 1901 the Gog Magog Golf Club has used these chalk downs as a golf course. Much of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
In 1989 the Magog Trust bought 163.5 acres of farmland. The aim was to restore it to chalk grassland and open it to the public. This reserve became Magog Down.
Some of the money came from selling “Gogs”. These were notional areas of land costing 5 each. They did not grant any title or rights. Magog Down has become popular for recreation and dog walking. It also helps re-establish chalkland plants and insects.
The Cambridge University Hare and Hounds running club uses Magog Down. They host the RAF Match there.
Magog Down and Wandlebury Country Park are popular for fresh air and recreation. Locals often refer to the open areas as simply “the Gogs”. The Cambridge News refers to “the Gog Magogs” when including Wandlebury and Magog Down together.
The Gog Magog Hills offer a blend of history recreation and natural beauty. They stand as a testament to the layers of stories embedded within the landscape. The name “Gog Magog” might be shrouded in myth. The hills themselves offer tangible connections to the past.