A manor was a large estate, usually belonging to the church or to a nobleman. It was part of the feudal system of giving out land to nobles in exchange for them looking after the land and its people, and being responsible for paying taxes and providing men at arms if the king desired.

A manor was usually part of the king's lands or the lands of a baron. It was a way of dividing up vast areas of land into manageable pieces.

The manor house was usually a large building made of stone, and from Tudor times onwards, often made of brick. In the earliest of medieval times, the manor house may have been moated or a small castle, but later, when castles were no longer needed, so the manor houses became more comfortable places to live in.

In the picture above you can see very tall chimneys. Chimneys inside a building were new at the start of Tudor times. Having decorated chimneys like this was a show of wealth.