This rectangular earthwork, measuring roughly 55 metres north to south and 50 metres east to west, represents a type of fortified settlement that became popular in Ireland during the 13th and 14th centuries. The site’s defensive features remain clearly visible despite centuries of weathering: an inner bank stands about 1.3 metres high on the exterior, accompanied by a broad, shallow moat that would have once held water diverted from the nearby stream through a specially constructed channel, or leat, at the southeast corner.

The moat itself, approximately 5 metres wide and less than a metre deep, follows the flat-bottomed design typical of these medieval sites, with an outer bank beyond it that’s best preserved along the southern edge. Though the interior is now heavily overgrown, earlier archaeological surveys in 1977 recorded traces of a building platform within the enclosure, suggesting this was once home to a medieval farming family of some standing. These moated sites were typically built by Anglo-Norman colonists or prosperous Irish families who adopted Norman defensive styles, creating secure homesteads that combined agricultural function with modest fortification.

Today, a modern field boundary cuts across the site from the middle of its south side to the northwest corner, a reminder of how the landscape has continued to evolve long after its medieval inhabitants departed. Just to the east, archaeologists have identified what may be another rectangular enclosure, hinting that this marshy valley might have supported a small medieval settlement complex rather than a single isolated farmstead.