Moated site, Raheen, Co. Wexford

Moated site, Raheen, Co. Wexford

In the countryside near Raheen, County Wexford, a rectangular earthwork sits quietly on a gentle slope facing south and southwest.

Moated site, Raheen, Co. Wexford

This medieval moated site, measuring 45 metres from northeast to southwest and 39 metres from northwest to southeast, represents a type of fortified homestead that was once common across the Irish landscape. The site appears only on the 1925 edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, suggesting it may have been more visible in the early 20th century than it is today.

The earthwork consists of a sophisticated defensive system typical of medieval moated sites. Earthen banks, between one and two metres wide and rising up to a metre in height, define the rectangular enclosure. Outside these inner banks run flat-bottomed moats, approximately six metres wide at the top and between two and four metres deep, which would have been filled with water in medieval times. Beyond the moats, external banks about two metres wide and a metre high complete the defensive arrangement. These concentric layers of banks and ditches would have provided both practical defence and a clear statement of status for the medieval inhabitants.



Perhaps most intriguing is the eight-metre square enclosure tucked into the northern corner of the site, which archaeologists believe may mark the location of the original house. Now overgrown and quietly returning to nature, this moated site offers a glimpse into medieval Irish life, when such fortified farmsteads dotted the landscape, providing security for prosperous farming families during uncertain times. The site was documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford in 1996 and continues to be monitored by local archaeologists.

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Raheen, Co. Wexford
52.43440196, -6.67934813
52.43440196,-6.67934813
Raheen 
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