Moated site, Ballymoty Beg, Co. Wexford
In the quiet countryside of Ballymoty Beg, County Wexford, a medieval moated site lies hidden amongst the overgrowth, its earthen banks and water-filled ditches still visible after centuries.
Moated site, Ballymoty Beg, Co. Wexford
The rectangular enclosure measures approximately 33 metres from northeast to southwest and 28 metres from northwest to southeast, sitting on a natural shelf in the landscape about 80 metres from a stream that runs through the valley below. What makes this site particularly intriguing is its defensive design; substantial earthen banks, roughly 5 metres wide and rising half a metre above the interior, form the main structure, whilst the surrounding moats, between 6 and 7 metres wide, would have provided formidable protection for whoever occupied this spot during medieval times.
The moats themselves tell an interesting story of medieval engineering and adaptation to the local landscape. With depths ranging from 2.2 to 2.3 metres on the inner side and 0.8 to 1.2 metres on the outer edges, these water-filled ditches would have been a significant deterrent to unwanted visitors. A small stream still flows through the southwestern moat, likely the same water source that medieval inhabitants cleverly diverted to maintain their defensive perimeter. The raised corners of the enclosure suggest additional fortification or perhaps watchtowers that once stood guard over this isolated settlement.
Sites like this one at Ballymoty Beg represent a fascinating period in Irish history when Anglo-Norman settlers and their descendants built these moated homesteads throughout the countryside, particularly in counties like Wexford where they established strong footholds. Typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, these sites served as fortified farmsteads for lesser nobility or prosperous farmers who needed protection in what was often contested territory. Today, whilst nature has reclaimed much of the site, the earthworks remain as a testament to medieval life in rural Ireland, preserved in the landscape for those who know where to look.





