What is Manor house?
[[File:Palmse manor house at summer.jpg|thumb|301x301px|A manor house in [[Estonia]].]] A '''manor house''' or '''fortified manor-house''' is a [[English country house|country house]], which has historically formed the centre of a '''manor''' (see [[Manorialism]]). The term is sometimes used for 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 house of a [[Feudalism|feudal]] lord of a manor, which he occupied only on occasional visits if he held many manors. Although not built with strong [[fortification]]s as [[castle]]s were, many manor houses were partly fortified: they were enclosed within [[wall]]s or [[ditch]]es. Often the [[farm]] buildings were within these walls as well. Many manor houses had small [[gatehouse]]s and [[watchtower]]<nowiki/>s. The main feature of the manor house was its [[great hall]]. 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 many country mansions of the Elizabethan and Jacobean styles in England. In France, the terms ''château'' or ''manoir'' are often used to describe a French manor house. ''Maison-forte'' 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. 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. ==Related pages== * [[Mansion]] * Reality TV show recreating life in an Edwardian [https://www.pbs.org/ma