The site consists of two conjoined rectangular platforms defined by low earthworks, now partially incorporated into modern farm buildings. The southern platform appears to be the earlier of the two, featuring a small internal bank measuring 80cm high and a moat fed by a natural spring. The northern platform, considerably larger in area, was likely expanded during the mid-fourteenth century when the site served as a ward, a type of fortified outpost. Though a farmhouse now occupies this northern platform, the surrounding moat remains impressively intact in places, reaching widths of up to 8.5 metres and depths of 1.7 metres, with sections still holding water.

Archaeological investigations have revealed that Killoughter was likely the centre of an extensive medieval settlement complex. A network of earthworks extends in multiple directions from the main site, including what appears to be a sunken routeway; a standard feature of deserted medieval settlements; that can be traced for considerable distances through the surrounding parkland. Rectangular field enclosures and potential habitation platforms spread across the landscape, possibly connecting Killoughter with neighbouring moated sites at Castlegrange to the north-east and Courtfoyle to the north-west. These features, preserved beneath centuries of less intensive cultivation, suggest a sophisticated medieval agricultural community that extended well beyond the defended farmstead itself.

The site’s evolution tells a compelling story of medieval Irish settlement patterns. Initially established as a defended farmstead, Killoughter was strategically enlarged when the nearby ward castle at Kilmartin proved too small to accommodate larger garrisons. Test trenching conducted in 2000 confirmed the presence of linear earthworks between the moated site and the adjacent medieval church, though dating evidence remains elusive. The complex represents not just a single fortified structure, but rather an entire medieval landscape of interconnected defensive sites, field systems, and routeways that shaped this corner of Wicklow for centuries.