Moated site, Colman, Co. Tipperary South
In the pastoral landscape of Colman, County Tipperary South, a square medieval moated site sits on gently sloping ground that dips towards the east.
Moated site, Colman, Co. Tipperary South
The monument, now covered in grass, measures roughly 34 metres north to south and 35.2 metres east to west, enclosed by what remains of an earthen bank that has weathered down to a scarp between 0.75 and 1.1 metres high. Like many square enclosures from this period, the corners were built up more substantially than the sides, though centuries of agricultural activity have taken their toll on the original structure.
The site bears clear evidence of past ploughing, which pushed the outer bank material into the defensive ditch, or fosse, creating an external berm that’s still visible along the eastern and southern sides. This berm varies in height from 0.25 to 0.39 metres and spans between 3.4 and 6.5 metres in width. The western side preserves the clearest remnants of the original defensive layout, with the external fosse measuring 2.4 metres wide and 0.55 metres deep below the internal scarp, alongside an outer bank that’s 4.5 metres wide.
The main entrance to the enclosure was positioned centrally on the western side, where a causeway approximately 3.8 metres wide crosses the defensive ditch. Two hollows, likely the result of quarrying activities, can be found nearby; one immediately northwest of the moated site and another to the southwest. These features, documented by Jean Farrelly in August 2011, offer a glimpse into how medieval communities shaped and reshaped this corner of Tipperary for both defensive and practical purposes.





