Manor house

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Manor house" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

English feudalism
Harold Sacramentum Fecit Willelmo Duci (Bayeux Tapestry)
Fief Ecclesiastical fief Crown land Allodial title Appanage Vassal Feoffment Seignory Subinfeudation Feoffee Fealty Homage Affinity Feudal maintenance Feudal fragmentation Bastard feudalism Livery
Manorialism
Lord of the manor Manorial court Manor house (List) Demesne Glebe Overlord Lord Peasant Serfdom Free tenant
Feudal land tenure in England
Land tenure English feudal barony Feudal baron Knight's fee Knight-service Baronage Peerage Serjeanty Copyhold Freehold Gavelkind Customary freehold Landed gentry Peerages in the United Kingdom
Feudal duties
Avera and inward Socage Scutage Feudal aid Scot and lot Tallage
Feudalism
v t e

A manor house is a type of residential building historically associated with the administrative and social functions of a manor in the feudal system of medieval Europe. Serving as the principal dwelling of the lord of the manor, it was typically the center of local governance, agricultural management, and justice, often housing manorial courts and accommodating tenants, stewards, and servants. Early manor houses were modest, sometimes fortified with features like moats or gatehouses, though they were generally less defensive than castles. Over time, particularly from the Late Middle Ages through the Early modern period, manor houses evolved into more elaborate and comfortable residences, reflecting shifts in wealth, architecture, and social structure. In England, many manor houses became the precursors to the country house and later stately homes. Today, surviving manor houses across Europe are valued as historical landmarks, offering insight into regional heritage, architecture, and the legacy of rural aristocracy.