Manor house
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A manor house or fortified manor-house is a country house, which has historically formed the administrative centre of a manor (see Manorialism), the lowest unit of territorial organization in the feudal system. The term is sometimes applied to relatively small country houses which belonged to gentry families, as well as to grand stately homes, particularly as a technical term for minor late medieval fortified country houses intended more for show than for defence.
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[edit] History and architecture
In general terms, the manor house was the dwelling house, or "capital messuage", of a feudal lord of a manor, which he occupied only on occasional visits if he held many manors. As such it was the place in which sessions of his "court baron", or manor court, were held. Sometimes a steward or seneschal was appointed by the seigneurial lord to oversee and manage his different manorial properties. The day-to-day administration was delegated to a bailiff, or reeve.
Although not typically built with strong fortifications as castles were, many manor-houses were partly fortified: they were enclosed within walls or ditches that often included the farm buildings as well. Arranged for defence against robbers and thieves, it was often surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge, and equipped with small gatehouses and watchtowers; but was not provided with a keep or with large towers or lofty curtain walls so as to withstand a siege. The primary feature of the manor-house was its great hall, to which subsidiary apartments were added as the lessening of feudal warfare permitted more peaceful domestic life.
By the beginning of the 16th century, manor-houses as well as small castles began to acquire the character and amenities of the residences of country gentlemen. This late 16th century transformation produced many of the smaller Renaissance châteaux of France and the numerous country mansions of the Elizabethan and Jacobean styles in England.
[edit] Architecture of French manor houses
In France, the terms château or manoir are often used synonymously to describe a French manor-house. Maison-forte is another French word to describe a strongly fortified manor-house, which might include two sets of enclosing walls and drawbridges. In the western France provinces of Brittany and Normandy, some large manors enjoyed real means of protection. The seigneurial residences of this type, just like the largest castles, often had a châtelet or logis-porche (gatehouse), a courtyard surrounded by walls sheltering the outbuildings – especially the stables, a principal house (logis principal), a chapel and a dovecote (colombier). In certain cases, the logis-porche is only a wall, in others, it is an actual house.[1] Some of these manor-houses were surrounded by ditches (wet or dry) and some were not.
In later medieval French manor-houses, the great hall was called the salle haute or upper-hall (or "high room"). This was the hall reserved for the seigneur and where he received his high-ranking guests, and was often accessible by an external spiral staircase. It was often "open" up to the roof trusses. This larger and more finely decorated hall was usually located above the ground-floor hall or salle basse that was used to receive peasants and commoners. The salle basse was also the location of the manor court, with the steward or seigneur's seating location often marked by the presence of a crédence de justice or wall-cupboard (shelves built into the stone walls to hold documents and books associated with administration of the demesne or droit de justice). The seigneur and his family's private chambres were often located off of the upper first-floor hall, and invariably had their own fireplace (with finely decorated chimney-piece) and frequently a latrine.
In addition to having both lower and upper-halls, many French manor-houses also had partly fortified gateways, watchtowers, and enclosing walls that were fitted with arrow or gun loops for added protection. Some larger 16th century manors, such as the Château de Kerjean in Finistère, Brittany, were even outfitted with ditches and fore-works that included gun platforms for cannons. These defensive arrangements allowed maisons-fortes, and rural manors to be safe from a coup de main perpetrated by an armed band as there was so many during the troubled times of the Hundred Years War and the wars of the Holy League; but it was difficult for them to resist a siege undertaken by a regular army equipped with (siege) engines.[2]
[edit] Modern usage
In modern usage, the term manor or manor house is sometimes used, especially outside Europe, to mean simply either a country house or indeed any other house considered to resemble one, without any reference to age or to the historical sense of the term.
In the United States, the word "manor" is often used in the names of long term residential facilities for the aged and infirm.
[edit] Manor houses of Northern Europe
[edit] Manors of England
[edit] Manors of Northern Germany
- Gut Altenhof in Dänischer Wohld
- Gut Blomenburg
- Gut Brodau in Ostholstein
- Gut Emkendorf
- Gut Knoop in Dänischer Wohld
- Gut Panker in Ostholstein
- Gut Projensdorf in Dänischer Wohld
- Gut Salzau
- Gut Wahlstorf
- Gut Wotersen in Herzogtum Lauenburg
[edit] Manors of Estonia
- Alatskivi in Alatskivi Parish, Tartu County
- Aaspere in Haljala Parish, Lääne-Viru County
- Mooste in Mooste Parish, Põlva County
- Palmse in Vihula Parish, Lääne-Viru County
- Pädaste on island and county Muhu, Saare County
- Riisipere in Nissi Parish, Harju County
- Roosna Alliku in Roosna-Alliku Parish, Järva County
- Sagadi in Vihula Parish, Lääne-Viru County
- Taagepera in Helme Parish, Valga County
[edit] Manors of Latvia
- Alsviķu muiža in Alsviķi, Alsviķu pagasts, Alūksnes rajons
- Apriķu muiža in Lažas pagats, Liepājas rajons
- Durbes pils in Tukums, Tukuma rajons
- Jaunmoku pils in Tumes pagasts, Tukuma rajons
- Kukšu muiža in Jaunsātu pagasts, Tukuma rajons
- Padures muiža in Padures pagasts, Kuldīgas rajons
[edit] Manors of The Netherlands
[edit] Manors of Northern Ireland
[edit] Manors of Scotland
- Brodie Castle
- Drum Castle, started as a 13th century tower house.
- House of Dun
- Monboddo House
- Muchalls Castle
- Raasay
[edit] Manors of Sweden
[edit] Manors of Wales
- Bodysgallen Hall near Conwy Castle
- Gwydir Castle, Conwy valley, North Wales
- Weobley Castle, Gower
- Tretower Court near Crickhowell
[edit] Manor houses of Western Europe
[edit] Manors of France
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[edit] Manor houses of Southern Europe
[edit] Manors of Spain
[edit] Manors of Portugal
[edit] See also
Look up manor house in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Country house and Mansion
- Court baron and Court leet
- Dovecote
- Lord of the manor
- Manor court
- Pele tower and Bastle house
- Quadrangular castle
- Tower house
- Villa
- Liste des châteaux de Bretagne, list of Breton manors in French Wikipedia.
- Eesti mõisate loend, list of Estonian manors in Estonian Wikipedia.
- There is a short list of Norman manoirs in Pays de Caux.
[edit] External links
- Reality TV show recreating life in an Edwardian manor house.
- Timelines TV Interactive video timeline of British history with section on medieval manors.
- Estonian Manors Portal - the English version gives the brief overview of 438 best preserved manor houses in Estonia.
- Portal of ASSOCIATION OF LATVIA`S CASTLES, PALACES AND MANORS - the English version gives the information about all manors and castles in Latvia, routes and photos.