Manor vs Manor House

What is a Manor?

• A manor is a piece of land granted to a lord by the king during the Middle Ages in Europe.
• A manor house is the large, central structure of the manor, usually serving as the home of the lord.

Manor Life

• Peasants made up nearly 75% of the population in medieval Europe and were almost entirely dependent upon their lords for both protection and the right to use manorial lands for their own sustenance.
• Typically, peasants worked six days a week, spending two to three days working on the demesne, and the rest of the days tending to their own land.
• The typical peasant diet consisted mainly of cereals such as barley and wheat, which they would make into bread and porridge.

Manor Structure

• A manor house usually included a Great Hall, kitchen, buttery, food storage area, and the solar, which was the private quarters of the lord and his family.
• Before the usage of glass, window openings were typically very small and covered with wooden shutters.

Lords in Medieval Times

• Lords were members of the noble class that were granted possession and use of land from the king.
• In return, lords paid homage to the king and swore to protect the land from outside invaders.

Manor Middle Ages History

• Manors and manor houses could be found in several countries across Europe, including England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
• The wealthiest and more powerful nobles also built castles, from which they could manage and protect multiple manors.

Difference between a Manor and a Castle

• Castles were very large and heavily fortified with features such as towers, battlements, and high walls.
• Manors were smaller, built more for comfort and domestic use, with some defensive fortifications such as protective walls and moats.

Examples of Manor Houses Across Europe

• English Manors: Typically, early English manors were fortified for protection, but later, building styles tended to be more about demonstrating status and position in the social hierarchy.
• French Manors: Medieval manor houses, called chateaus or manoirs, were heavily fortified, especially during the Hundred Years' War.
• Spanish Manors: Manor houses, or casa solariega, were called by different names depending on the geographic location, size of the manor, or the social ranking of the family that owned it.
• Dutch Manors: Manors, or heerlijkheden, were part of medieval life in the Netherlands under the feudal system, and later, newly wealthy merchants purchased manors and estates.