Moated site, Carrowwilkin, Co. Sligo
In a farmyard in Carrowwilkin, County Sligo, about 50 metres north of a stream, lie the partial remains of what was once a medieval moated site.
Moated site, Carrowwilkin, Co. Sligo
While modern farm buildings and a yard have been constructed over the western portion of the site, obliterating much of its original form, the eastern side still preserves fragmentary but telling evidence of this defensive earthwork. What survives today is a rectangular area measuring approximately 18.5 metres from north to south and around 30 metres from east to west, though only portions of the original earthen bank remain visible.
The most substantial surviving feature is the earthen bank that defines the eastern side and about half of the southern side of the enclosure. This bank, roughly 3.5 metres wide, rises to an internal height of 1.2 metres and extends for about 18 metres along the southern edge. At the base of the eastern bank, archaeologists have identified an external fosse, or defensive ditch, with a flat bottom measuring 5 metres wide and approximately 0.7 metres deep. Just to the north of the site, the remains of an old east-west field boundary can still be traced, suggesting the broader agricultural landscape in which this fortification once sat.
Historical maps reveal how our understanding of this site has evolved over time. The 1838 Ordnance Survey six-inch map depicted it as a circular enclosure situated in the northwest corner of a field, whilst by the 1914 edition, it was shown as a rectangular enclosure with hachures marking the southern and eastern sides, and field boundaries defining the northern and western edges. This changing cartographic representation reflects both the gradual deterioration of the site and improvements in surveying techniques, offering a glimpse into how medieval defensive structures have been absorbed into Ireland’s modern farming landscape.