Moated site, Parkmore, Co. Wicklow
The moated site at Parkmore in County Wicklow sits on a south-facing slope in grassland, where a stream marks the townland boundary with Kilcavan to the east.
Moated site, Parkmore, Co. Wicklow
This roughly square earthwork measures approximately 35 metres north to south and 39 metres east to west internally, surrounded by a fosse that shows up clearly in aerial photographs. What makes this site particularly intriguing is its western side, which curves outward rather unusually, suggesting it may have been altered during the post-medieval period. The 1837 Ordnance Survey six-inch map shows a farmyard to the southwest and the former main road that once connected Carnew and Aughrim running to the west.
The location of this moated site places it within an interesting historical landscape. Just 210 metres to the east-northeast stand the remains of Kilcavan Church, along with its ecclesiastical enclosure and a cross, whilst another enclosure lies 490 metres to the south. These medieval earthworks, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, were defensive homesteads built by Anglo-Norman settlers and wealthy Irish families. The moat, or water-filled ditch, would have provided both protection and a statement of status in medieval society.
Today, the earthwork remains visible as a raised platform in the landscape, its defensive fosse still traceable despite centuries of agricultural activity. The site offers a tangible connection to medieval settlement patterns in County Wicklow, when such fortified farmsteads dotted the countryside. Though time has softened its edges and modified its original form, the Parkmore moated site continues to tell the story of how medieval communities organised their landscape; balancing the needs for defence, agriculture, and proximity to ecclesiastical centres.





