Moated site, Inchisland Or Moatalusha, Co. Carlow
In the townland of Inchisland or Moatalusha in County Carlow, aerial photography has revealed the ghostly outline of what appears to be a medieval moated site.
Moated site, Inchisland Or Moatalusha, Co. Carlow
The cropmarks, visible in photographs taken by Cambridge University, show a square enclosure measuring roughly 25 metres on each side, surrounded by what was once a water-filled defensive ditch or fosse. The southern side of the enclosure shows signs of an entrance gap in its middle section, suggesting this was the main access point to whatever structures once stood within.
The site leaves no trace on the ground today; only from above can its ancient footprint be detected through the differential growth of crops responding to the buried archaeological features below. The surrounding fields also display cropmark evidence of rectangular field boundaries, indicating this was part of a broader agricultural landscape during its period of use. These field systems, catalogued as CW008-052002 in the archaeological record, sit adjacent to another enclosure site designated CW008-040.
Moated sites like this one were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, often serving as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous farming families. The water-filled moat would have provided both defence and status, whilst the enclosed area likely contained a timber hall or tower house along with associated farm buildings. Though the structures themselves have long vanished, the earthwork boundaries captured in these aerial photographs preserve the footprint of medieval life in rural Carlow, offering a window into how the landscape was organised and defended during turbulent times.