When surveyors mapped the area for the first Ordnance Survey in 1840, they documented a partial rectangular enclosure measuring roughly 32 by 35 metres, with banks defining three of its four sides; the northern edge remained mysteriously open. The structure was aligned northeast to southwest, its earthen boundaries still visible enough to warrant inclusion on those early maps.

By 1971, however, time and agriculture had taken their toll on this ancient monument. Archaeologist Tom Barry, surveying the site, noted that it had become barely traceable, its once prominent banks worn down to subtle undulations in the landscape. Today, visitors to the location would find little evidence of the structure that once stood here; no surface features remain visible to the untrained eye, though the site continues to offer commanding views across the surrounding countryside.

The classification of this site as a possible moated enclosure places it within a broader medieval tradition found throughout Ireland and Britain. These structures, typically dating from the 13th to 15th centuries, consisted of farmsteads or manor houses surrounded by water-filled ditches for both defence and status. Whilst the Gortmakellis example lacks the complete circuit of banks one might expect, its partial enclosure and rectangular form align with known patterns of these medieval settlements, suggesting this quiet field once hosted a bustling farmstead centuries ago.