This moated site forms a slightly raised, subrectangular platform measuring approximately 28 metres from northeast to southwest and 23 metres from northwest to southeast. The platform’s rounded corners soften what would otherwise be a stark geometric shape, whilst the entire structure is embraced by an elaborate system of double earthen banks with a water-filled ditch running between them.

The defensive architecture of this site reveals careful medieval planning. The inner bank, standing about 65 centimetres high on its interior side and 80 centimetres on the exterior, runs 2.3 metres wide but is punctuated by numerous gaps that may have served as access points or resulted from centuries of weathering. Between the two banks lies a fosse, or defensive ditch, stretching nearly 5 metres wide and still holding water in places; a small channel, possibly a leat measuring about a metre wide, appears to feed water into its western corner. The outer bank, slightly wider at 2.5 metres, creates a secondary line of defence and remains clearly visible along the northeastern, southeastern, southwestern and partial northwestern sides, though it stands somewhat lower than its inner counterpart.

Sites like this one at Rathscanlan represent a fascinating chapter in Ireland’s medieval history. These moated sites, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, were often associated with Anglo-Norman settlement patterns, serving as fortified farmsteads or minor manor houses. The double-banked construction with its water-filled fosse would have provided both practical defence and a statement of status in the medieval landscape, marking out its inhabitants as people of some local importance whilst offering protection in uncertain times.