The site occupies poorly drained, low-lying ground where the earth tends to stay marshy; perfect conditions for preserving the water-filled defensive ditches that once protected whatever stood at its centre. Measuring 39 metres from northwest to southeast and 36 metres from northeast to southwest, this medieval earthwork follows the classic rectangular plan typical of Anglo-Norman moated sites built across Ireland during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The site’s defences consist of two earthen banks with a waterlogged fosse, or ditch, running between them. While time and weather have taken their toll on parts of the structure, the outer bank remains clearly visible along the northwestern and northeastern sides. These raised earthworks would have originally stood much higher, topped with wooden palisades or thorn hedges to create a formidable barrier against unwanted visitors. The marshy conditions that make the surrounding grassland difficult to drain have ironically helped preserve these medieval earthworks, keeping the ditches wet and preventing the banks from being ploughed away or eroded completely.

At the northern corner of the site, archaeologists have identified a leat; a narrow artificial channel about 50 metres long and roughly one metre wide that connects the moat system to the stream. This carefully engineered waterway would have maintained water levels in the defensive ditches whilst providing drainage when needed. Such moated sites typically enclosed timber-framed halls or small tower houses belonging to Anglo-Norman settlers or Gaelicised families who adopted this defensive architecture. Though whatever buildings once stood within these protective earthworks have long since vanished, the surviving banks and waterlogged ditches offer a glimpse into medieval Ireland’s contested landscapes.