One of the many great things about digging a moat is that its lower levels tend to be waterlogged. When soil is waterlogged it allows materials such as wood and leather to survive because there is very little air in the soil. This is known as an anaerobic environment.

The Leather Shoe from Caherduggan

This week we discovered an amazing leather shoe preserved in the wetter soil at the bottom of the moat. We believe it could be up to 600 years old, although a specialist in medieval footwear will be needed to confirm this.

Reproduction of Medieval Shoe (Sara Nylund)