This ancient fortification, measuring 32 metres northwest to southeast and 24 metres northeast to southwest, represents a fascinating piece of Ireland’s medieval landscape. Though nature has thoroughly reclaimed the site with vegetation, the substantial defensive features remain clearly visible to those who know what to look for.

The site’s most impressive feature is its formidable earthen bank, which rises 1.2 metres on the interior side and spreads an impressive 16 metres in width. From the bottom of the outer fosse, or defensive ditch, this bank towers nearly 4.7 metres high, creating what would have been a significant obstacle for any potential attackers. The fosse itself is equally substantial, measuring 3.6 metres wide at its base and plunging 1.8 metres deep, forming a broad protective moat around the enclosed area.

Such earthworks, commonly known as moated sites, were typically constructed during the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland, serving as fortified farmsteads or manor houses for colonising families. The considerable effort required to move such vast quantities of earth speaks to both the resources available to its builders and the perceived need for defence in medieval Kildare. Today, whilst overgrown and weathered by centuries, this monument continues to mark the landscape as a tangible reminder of the complex social and political changes that swept through Ireland during the Middle Ages.