Yielden Castle was a twelfth-century castle located in the village of
Yelden
Yelden or Yielden is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Melchbourne and Yielden, in the Bedford district, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England, near the borders with Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. It lies ...
in the county of
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
, England.
Details
Yielden Castle has also been known, or recorded as, ''"Yeldon Castle"'', ''"Yelden Castle"'', ''"Giuelden Castle"'' and ''"Yielding Castle"''. It was a
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
that had two baileys. It was first mentioned in historical records in 1173 and was the stronghold of the Trailly family until the thirteenth century. The castle was in decay by 1360.
Excavations were done on the site in 1881 and 1882. A thirteenth-century stone curtain was found at that time. Today, it is little more than a grassed-over earthworks mound, though some remains can be seen. It is a
Scheduled Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
.
See also
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Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
*
List of castles in England
This list of castles in England is not a list of every building and site that has "castle" as part of its name, nor does it list only buildings that conform to a strict definition of a castle as a medieval fortified residence. It is not a list ...
References
Britain Express
Castles in Bedfordshire
Scheduled monuments in Bedfordshire
Borough of Bedford
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