Though nothing is visible at ground level today, historical maps tell a different story; the 1839 Ordnance Survey clearly marks out a rectangular enclosure, roughly 50 metres east to west and 45 metres north to south, complete with defensive earthworks or a water-filled moat. The site occupies a gentle valley that runs from west to east, with the headwaters of a small stream flowing nearby.

Just south of the enclosure lies what may be a holy well, hinting at the religious significance this spot might have held for medieval communities. Such wells were often focal points for local worship and pilgrimage, and their proximity to defensive sites wasn’t uncommon in medieval Ireland. The combination of a fortified enclosure and a sacred water source suggests this was once an important location, perhaps home to a local lord or religious community who valued both spiritual and physical protection.

Moated sites like this one were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, often by Anglo-Norman settlers or Gaelicised Norman families who adapted to Irish customs. These rectangular enclosures, surrounded by water-filled ditches, would have contained timber buildings; perhaps a hall, living quarters, and storage structures. While the buildings have long since vanished and the moat has filled in over the centuries, the site remains an intriguing reminder of Wexford’s medieval landscape, when such fortified homesteads dotted the Irish countryside.