Moated site, Newbawn, Co. Wexford
In the countryside near Newbawn, County Wexford, a rectangular earthwork marks the site of what appears to be a medieval moated enclosure.
Moated site, Newbawn, Co. Wexford
First recorded on the 1839 Ordnance Survey six-inch map, this archaeological feature sits on a gentle east-facing slope and measures approximately 45 metres north to south and 40 metres east to west. The site consists of a slightly raised, grass-covered platform roughly 28 by 25 metres, though its edges have become somewhat indistinct over the centuries.
What makes this site particularly interesting is its defensive fosse, or ditch, which once provided protection for whatever structure stood within. This wide, shallow depression, measuring about 20 metres across, is still visible along the western and southern sides of the enclosure. Such moated sites were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, often serving as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families during the medieval period.
The Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford, published in 1996, provides the most comprehensive documentation of this site, though ongoing research continues to shed light on its history. Whilst the original buildings have long since vanished, the earthworks remain as a tangible reminder of medieval life in rural Wexford, when such defended homesteads dotted the Irish landscape.





