Yielden Village Defences

Has been described as a Questionable Urban Defence

There are earthwork remains

NameYielden Village Defences
Alternative NamesYelden; Yeldon; Giuelden; Yielding
Historic CountryBedfordshire
Modern AuthorityBedfordshire
1974 AuthorityBedfordshire
Civil ParishMelchbourne And Yielden

Complex motte and bailey with adjoining deserted village earthworks, outer bank probably not defensive. (Bond, 2001)

Creighton and Higham suggest settlement possibly enclosed in outer bailey of Yielden castle

Gatehouse Comments

The parish church is well outside these defences and, Gatehouse suspects, most, if not all, of the village was as well. The 'village' earthworks are marked in Wadmore as 5 or 6 well defined areas of somewhat different forms, fitting around the castle, but of about equal areas. Are these incipient burgage plots for an planned but still born borough rather than deserted village crofts?

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTL013669
Latitude52.2916603088379
Longitude-0.515630006790161
Eastings501380
Northings266940
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 259
  • Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p. 145-6

Journals

  • Bond J., 2001, 'Earthen Castles, Outer Enclosures and the Earthworks at Ascott d'Oilly Castle, Oxfordshire' Oxoniensia Vol. 46 p. 67-8 (Appendix: Earthwork castles with attached village enclosures) online copy