Moated site, Baurleigh, Co. Cork
Near the top of a fairly steep, east-facing hillside in Baurleigh, County Cork, lies the remains of what appears to be a medieval moated site.
Moated site, Baurleigh, Co. Cork
The rectangular enclosure measures approximately 40 metres from north to south and just over 30 metres from east to west, defined by earthworks that still stand prominently in the landscape. On the eastern side, a scarp drops away about 60 centimetres, whilst the southern, western and northern boundaries are marked by more substantial earthen banks standing 1.2 metres high. The interior of the enclosure slopes downward towards the east, following the natural contour of the hillside.
Two deliberate gaps break the continuous line of the earthen banks, suggesting original entrances to the site. The northern opening spans about 2 metres wide, whilst a broader 5-metre gap pierces the western bank. These openings would have provided access to whatever structures once stood within the enclosure, though no visible remains of buildings survive today. A modern drainage channel runs immediately outside the southern bank and eastern scarp, likely installed to manage water runoff from the sloping ground.
Local tradition holds that this site served as a burial ground, though the archaeological evidence points more towards its original function as a moated site; a type of medieval settlement typically associated with Anglo-Norman colonisation in Ireland during the 13th and 14th centuries. These sites usually consisted of a farmstead or manor house surrounded by a water-filled ditch and bank for defence and status. The information about this particular site comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1, published in 1992, with updates from more recent research carried out in 2009.