Measuring approximately 30 metres on each side, this cropmark appears most clearly in Google Earth imagery from June 2018, when dry conditions allowed the buried features to show through the modern field surface. The site displays a fascinating radiating field system extending outward from the central enclosure, suggesting this was once the hub of a well-organised agricultural estate.

Moated sites like this one were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, serving as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers and prosperous Irish families. The moat itself would have been a water-filled ditch surrounding a raised platform where the main buildings stood; usually a hall, agricultural structures, and perhaps a small tower house. While the buildings have long since vanished, the distinctive square shape and surrounding field patterns visible from above tell us this was likely home to a family of some local importance, managing their lands from this defensive yet practical base.

The discovery of this site through aerial photography, documented by Caimin O’Brien with information from Hiúdaí Reid, demonstrates how modern technology continues to reveal Ireland’s hidden medieval landscape. Cropmarks form when buried archaeological features affect plant growth; crops growing over buried ditches tend to be taller and greener due to increased moisture, whilst those over buried walls or foundations often appear stunted. This particular site in Burtown Little joins hundreds of similar moated sites across Ireland, each one a reminder of how medieval communities shaped the countryside we see today, their boundaries and field systems often still defining modern property lines and farming practices.