The rath at Ussey is not circular in the way most people picture these enclosures; its flattened side gives it a distinctly geometric quality, as though someone once made a deliberate decision to work around the natural contour of the slope rather than impose a perfect ring upon it.

A rath is an early medieval enclosure, typically dating from roughly the fifth to the twelfth century, formed by a raised earthen bank and, outside that, a fosse or ditch. They functioned as farmsteads, the bank and fosse providing a degree of protection for people, livestock, and stores. The Ussey example measures approximately 38.5 metres east-northeast to west-southwest and 36.8 metres north-northwest to south-southeast, dimensions that suggest a moderately sized settlement rather than anything grand or ceremonial. It sits on a northeast-facing slope, a practical enough orientation for drainage and shelter, and the bank and fosse that define it remain in fair condition. Field banks run around the monument from the southeast, continuing through the south and round to the northwest, which hints at centuries of agricultural organisation layering itself around the older structure without quite erasing it.