The site consists of an oval enclosure measuring approximately 34 metres east to west and 29 metres north to south, defined by an earthen bank or scarp that rises about 1.45 metres high. What makes this site particularly interesting is its surrounding fosse, essentially a water-filled ditch that would have served as both a defensive feature and a status symbol during the medieval period.

The fosse itself is quite substantial, with a base width of 2.25 metres and an overall width reaching 4.75 metres, though it’s only about half a metre deep today due to centuries of silting. Best preserved along the northwestern, northern and southwestern sections, the ditch is now heavily overgrown with vegetation around its southern and northern curves. At the western side, the fosse has been deliberately backfilled to create a causeway about 4 metres wide, which would have served as the main entrance to the enclosure.

The interior of the site shows subtle variations in elevation; the ground slopes gently downward towards the north, whilst the northwestern and southwestern quarters show a slight rise. These moated sites, which date primarily from the 13th and 14th centuries, were typically associated with Anglo-Norman settlement and served as fortified farmsteads for wealthy landowners. The presence of such a site in Ballynacloghy provides tangible evidence of the medieval landscape and settlement patterns that shaped this part of Tipperary.