Moated site, Knockbeg West, Co. Sligo

Moated site, Knockbeg West, Co. Sligo

On the south bank of the Owenmore River in County Sligo sits a remarkably well-preserved medieval moated site, one of three defensive structures clustered within 100 metres of each other.

Moated site, Knockbeg West, Co. Sligo

The site occupies a level square of pasture measuring roughly 29 metres across, defined by a water-filled ditch, or fosse, that runs along its eastern, southern and western sides. The northern edge relies on a natural scarp that drops about half a metre towards the riverbank, eliminating the need for an artificial defensive ditch on that side.

The fosse itself is three metres wide and half a metre deep, though a field boundary has cut through it on the eastern side. A causeway crosses the southern section of the ditch, slightly off-centre to the east, where dense growths of irises now mark its position; these water-loving plants have also colonised parts of the interior, suggesting the site remains somewhat waterlogged. Along the western side, a slight rise on the inner edge of the fosse hints at the remains of an earthen bank that would have provided additional defence.



The proximity of this moated site to two other enclosures speaks to the strategic importance of this location during medieval times. Just 20 metres to the east lies another moated site, whilst approximately 100 metres away stands what appears to be a rectangular enclosure. The undulating ground to the south has been heavily altered by quarrying activities, which have dug away much of the rising terrain that once provided a natural backdrop to these defensive structures. These moated sites, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, were often associated with Anglo-Norman settlement patterns in Ireland, serving as fortified homesteads for colonising families or as administrative centres for managing agricultural estates.

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Knockbeg West, Co. Sligo
54.17801289, -8.51683689
54.17801289,-8.51683689
Knockbeg West 
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