Ightham Mote
A 'manor house' or 'fortified manor-house' is a
country house, which has historically formed the centre of a 'manor' (see
Manorialism). 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 castles more intended for show than for defence.
In general terms, the manor house was the dwelling house of a feudal lord of a manor, which he occupied only on occasional visits if he held many manors. Although not built with strong fortifications as castles were, many manor houses were partly fortified: they were enclosed within walls or ditches that oftentimes included the farm buildings as well. Many of them were equipped with small
gatehouses and
watchtowers. 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.
Château de Trécesson, 14th century manor in Morbihan, Brittany
In France, the terms or are often used synonymously to describe a French manor house. is another French word to describe a strongly fortified manor house. In the western France provinces of Brittany and Normandy, certain large manors enjoyed real means of protection. The seigniorial 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. In certain cases, the ''logis-porche'' is only one wall, in others, it is a true house.
[1] Some of these manor houses were surrounded by ditches (wet or dry) and some were not.
In late medieval French manor houses the great hall was called the ''salle haute'' or "upper hall." This was the hall reserved for the lord and where he received his high-ranking guests. This larger hall was often located above the ground-floor hall or ''salle basse.'' In addition to upper halls, many French manor houses also had watchtowers, gatehouses and walls that were fitted with
arrow or gun loops for added protection. Some larger 16th century manors, such as the Château de Kerjean in Finistere, Brittany, were even outfitted with fore-works that included gun platforms for cannons.
In modern usage, the term ''manor'' or ''manor house'' is often 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.
Notable manor houses in the United Kingdom
Notable manor houses in France
★ in Morbihan, Brittany.
★ in Finistère, Brittany.
★ in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany. A very strategically important ''maison-forte'' in Trégor.
★ in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany.
★ in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany.
★ in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany.
★ in Eure, Normandy.
★ in Calvados, Normandy.
★ in Manche, Normandy.
★ in Manche, Normandy.
See also
★
Country house
★
Mansion
★ There is a short list of
Normandy ''manoirs'' in
Pays de Caux.
★ Reality tv show recreating life in an Edwardian
manor house.
External links
★
Estonian Manors Portal - the English version gives the brief overview of 438 best preserved manor houses in Estonia.
Notes
1. Jones, Michael and Gwyn Meirion-Jones, Les Châteaux de Bretagne, Rennes: Editions Quest-France,1991, pp 34-35
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