Moated site, Brickendown, Co. Tipperary South
In a quiet pasture in Brickendown, County Tipperary South, the earthworks of a medieval moated site still mark the landscape.
Moated site, Brickendown, Co. Tipperary South
The main enclosure forms a rough rectangle, measuring about 70 metres northwest to southeast and 48 metres northeast to southwest. Its boundaries are defined by substantial earthen banks that stand up to 0.7 metres high on the outside, with a defensive ditch or fosse running along the western side. The banks, which measure nearly 5 metres wide at their base, have been breached in two places along the western edge, likely from centuries of agricultural use.
Adjacent to this rectangular enclosure lies a D-shaped area extending to the east-northeast, spanning 80 metres north-northwest to south-southeast and 60 metres east-northeast to west-southwest. This section features a curving bank along its northern and northeastern sides, which gradually transitions into a scarp as it runs southeast. A small section of fosse appears at the northeast corner, where someone has excavated a sump that now holds water; this depression measures 10 metres long, 3 metres wide, and varies in depth from 0.2 to 0.6 metres.
The interior of the D-shaped enclosure contains a particularly interesting feature: a natural ridge of stone and gravel running roughly north to south. This undulating ridge shows clear evidence of quarrying from antiquity, suggesting the site’s occupants made use of these readily available building materials. Within the earthworks sits an oval enclosure, catalogued separately as monument TS061-060001, adding another layer to this complex medieval site. The entire monument was compiled and documented by Jean Farrelly, with records uploaded to the archaeological database in August 2011.





