Yoden medieval settlement

Reasons for Designation

Medieval rural settlements in England were marked by great regional diversity in form, size and type, and the protection of their archaeological remains needs to take these differences into account. To do this, England has been divided into three broad Provinces on the basis of each area's distinctive mixture of nucleated and dispersed settlements. These can be further divided into sub-Provinces and local regions, possessing characteristics which have gradually evolved during the past 1500 years or more. The East Durham Plateau local region is a limestone upland partly covered by glacial clays. The upper part of the plateau was almost devoid of settlement until the creation of the late 19th century mining communities, but ancient villages occupy the varied soils of the western sub-Provincial boundary, and can be found along the north-south routes just inland from the coast. Towards the southern edge and the Tees Valley, there has been significant settlement depopulation.

Medieval villages were organised agricultural communities, sited at the centre of a parish or township, that shared resources such as arable land, meadow and woodland. Village plans varied enormously, but when they survive as earthworks their most distinguished features include roads and minor tracks, platforms on which houses stood and other buildings such as barns, enclosed crofts and small paddocks. They frequently included the parish church within their boundaries, and as part of the manorial system most villages included one or more manorial centres which may also survive as visible remains as well as below ground deposits. In the central province of England, villages were the most distinct aspect of medieval life, and their archaeological remains are one of the most important sources of understanding about rural life in the five or more centuries following the Norman Conquest. Yoden medieval settlement is well-preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. The village is a good example of its type and will add greatly to our knowledge and understanding of medieval settlement in the region.

Details

The monument includes the earthworks and buried remains of Yoden medieval village which lies on the magnesian limestone plateau of East Durham. The plan of the medieval settlement of Yoden is of a type familiar to this part of County Durham in which parallel lines of tofts or houses with crofts or garden areas to the rear face on to a village green. At Yoden the main green runs east-west through the village. Beyond the tofts and crofts would lie the communal open fields where the crops were grown. The tofts and crofts at Yoden survive as visible earthworks up to 0.5m high forming rectangular and subrectangular enclosures. The green around which the tofts and crofts were arranged is no longer obvious on the ground, but it is clearly shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map. Traces of this green can be expected to survive below the ground. Deep ploughing has removed any potential earthworks to the east of those presently visible, although archaeological deposits relating to the medieval settlement can also be expected to have survived below ground. A post-medieval quarry has destroyed part of the settlement to the north. The village of Yoden is mentioned by Simeon of Durham as the northern limit of Scula's (a Danish viking warlord), oppression, in around 900-915. Finds from partial excavations in 1884 included pottery from the 14th to 16th century. All fencing and modern walls are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

34579

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
78,
Roberts, B., Back Lanes and Tofts, Distribution Maps and Time, Medieval Nucle, Medieval Rural Settlement In North-East England, (1990)

End of official list entry

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