The rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 35 metres east-northeast to west-southwest and 30 metres north-northwest to south-southeast, shows up clearly as a cropmark in satellite imagery from 2016 and 2018. What makes this site particularly intriguing is its defensive moat, a substantial water-filled ditch roughly 4 metres wide that surrounds the structure on three sides; the southeastern side shows a lighter, less pronounced boundary.

The moat would have served both defensive and status purposes, marking this as the residence of someone of considerable local importance during the medieval period. These moated sites, which date primarily from the 13th to 14th centuries, were typically constructed by Anglo-Norman settlers or wealthy Irish families adopting Norman building practices. Within the enclosure’s interior, aerial views reveal a rectangular depression measuring about 10 metres square, likely the remains of a cellar or storage pit that would have sat beneath the main dwelling.

The site’s proximity to the River Boyne, just 75 metres to the southeast, would have been carefully chosen; the river provided both a water source for filling the moat and a transportation route for goods and people. First identified by researcher Jean-Charles Caillere and documented by Michael Moore in 2019, this hidden monument offers a tantalising glimpse into medieval life along one of Ireland’s most historically significant waterways, where Norman and Gaelic cultures intersected and evolved together.