This medieval moated site, measuring approximately 30 metres north to south and 35 metres east to west, represents one of the many defensive homesteads that once dotted the Irish countryside. The enclosure is defined by substantial earthworks; a bank that rises 1.4 metres on the interior and 1.6 metres on the exterior, with an overall width of six metres at its base tapering to 1.5 metres at the crest.

The defensive fosse, or ditch, that surrounds the site varies in depth around its perimeter, reaching between one and 1.4 metres on three sides, whilst plunging to at least two metres along the eastern edge where the land rises sharply towards the Castlecomer hills. Historical accounts from 1977 describe this feature as a wet moat, three metres wide and an impressive 4.4 metres deep, though these measurements differ from more recent surveys. The presence of water in the moat would have provided both a defensive barrier and potentially a source of fish for the site’s medieval inhabitants.

Today, the monument lies heavily overgrown with scrub vegetation, a common fate for many of Ireland’s earthwork sites. These moated sites typically date from the 13th to 14th centuries and were often associated with Anglo-Norman settlement patterns, serving as fortified farmsteads for colonists or wealthy landowners. The strategic positioning of this particular example, with its commanding views across the surrounding landscape and its back protected by the rising ground to the east, demonstrates the careful consideration that went into selecting and fortifying these medieval homesteads.