Moated site, Ballyclemock, Co. Wexford
In the valley of the Tomgarrow stream in Ballyclemock, County Wexford, lies a fascinating medieval moated site that offers a glimpse into Ireland's defensive rural settlements.
Moated site, Ballyclemock, Co. Wexford
The rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 46 metres from northeast to southwest and 45 metres from northwest to southeast, sits within mixed woodland where the stream curves around it at a distance of 30 to 100 metres. The site is defined by modest earthen banks on the interior, standing about 0.2 metres high, surrounded by substantial moats on three sides. These defensive ditches range from 8.7 to 9.5 metres wide at the top, narrowing to 3.5 to 4.5 metres at their base, with depths between 1 and 1.8 metres. The northwest side differs slightly, featuring a field bank with an outer silted drain rather than a full moat.
The interior of the enclosure reveals the remains of three rectangular house sites, each measuring roughly 9 metres by 4 to 5 metres, arranged to form three sides of a square with the northwest side left open. These structures are marked by spreads of stone about 1.5 metres wide and rising 0.4 to 0.6 metres above the surrounding ground level, suggesting substantial stone foundations or collapsed walls. Additional defensive features include external banks on the southeast and southwest sides, measuring 6 to 8 metres wide and standing 0.6 to 1.5 metres high, likely built up with spoil excavated from the moats.
This site forms part of a broader medieval landscape in the area; another circular moated site can be found approximately 130 metres to the south, on the opposite side of the Tomgarrow stream. Together, these monuments represent the type of defended farmsteads that were common in medieval Ireland, particularly in areas of Anglo-Norman settlement. First documented by Barry in 1977 and later included in the Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford published in 1996, the site continues to be studied and monitored by archaeologists seeking to understand medieval settlement patterns in southeast Ireland.





