More information : NZ 4324 4172 Yoden Village (NR) (site of) (NAT). (1)
Jodene or Yoden is mentioned by Simeon as having been the northern
limit of Scula's oppresions (2).
The site of the village was visible as `ruins within .... a bounding
trench, and on their north side a large cone, doubly or trebly
trenched in a semi-circular manner' according to Longstaffe (3a).
Excavations in 1884 by Mrs R Burdon showed the remains to be
Medieval. Foundations were found clustered on the south and west of
the conical hill or `large cone' which was a natural feature. Other
mounds proved to be earthworks only. Finds included a grinding stone,
a hone, probable 14th-16th green-glazed pottery, a bronze buckle,
animal bones shells and iron ore (3).
In 1952 the site was preserved as a village green (4).
Visible on RAF air photographs (5).
NZ 4324 4172. A deserted Medieval village with a large disused quarry
in the northern perimeter. The site is bounded on the south by a long
bank, 3 m wide and 0.5 m high. The internal banks vary from 1 m - 4 m
in width and up to 1 m in height. They are somewhat indistinct in
part but form the usual pattern of rectangular and sub-rectangular
enclosures. No finds were made. The present location of the finds
mentioned in Authority 3 is not known. (6)
In preserving the deserted Medieval village its basic structure was
revealed as two rows of houses, one each of a green, each house
having a toft behind it, marked off by earth banks lying at right-
angles to the green. Later activity, notably two abandoned quarries,
interrupted the pattern. Surveyed at 1:200. (7)
This is no longer recognisable as a deserted Medieval village site.
It is completely overgrown with rough grass, partly covered by
rubbish and tracks and mutilated by drainage and dumping on the East.
All that is evident (shown in red on 1:1250 plan) are fragments of
slopes all much overgrown and barely discernible. (Remains do not
warrant depiction for publication). Site only (no intelligible
remains). Published Survey (1:1250) Revised. (8)
The site was visited by RCHME during a survey of scheduled
monuments in County Durham.
Only the larger earthwork elements were clearly visible at the time
of the field visit under the long grass and scrub. The earthworks
near the centre of the site, close to the south end of the hollow
way, are substantial and are possibly spoil from the 1884 excavation.
(9)
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