A fortified house or fortified mansion is a type of building which developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, generally with significant fortifications added. During the earlier Roman period it was common for wealthy landowners to construct unfortified villas on their lands.

The term Manor House is sometimes applied to country houses which belonged to gentry families, even if they were never administrative centres of a manor. It is used especially for minor late medieval fortified country houses often built more for show than for defence.

Combined Comfort and Security - Fortified manor houses were designed to be both livable and defensible. They provided comfort and amenities for the lord's family while maintaining the ability to withstand attacks, especially during times of local unrest or minor conflicts.

Nov 6, 2020 · Manor houses could only be fortified if a royal license was granted (known as a license to crenellate) – by obtaining such a license, and fortifying his manor, a lord could also hope to increase his prestige.

More specifically a Maison-forte ("fortified-house") is a strongly fortified manor-house, which might include two sets of enclosing walls, drawbridges, and a ground-floor hall or salle basse that was used to receive peasants and commoners.

This site aspires to be a comprehensive listing of the medieval castles, castle sites, fortified houses, urban and coastal defences and other fortifications of England, Wales, the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man built or in use from 1000 to 1600.

Manor houses were sometimes fortified, albeit not as fortified as castles, but this was often more for show than for defence. They existed in most European countries where feudalism was present.

The medieval manor was generally fortified in proportion to the degree of peaceful settlement of the country or region in which it was located. The manor house was the centre of secular village life, and its great hall was the scene of the manorial …

One of the best examples of a fortified medieval manor house in England. Free admission to members of Historic Houses when you show a valid membership card. Penshurst Place has been home to the Sidney family since 1552 making it one of …

Apr 3, 2024 · Those constructed with defence in mind were known as fortified manor houses. By the late sixteenth century, architects started to design more whimsical and often more aesthetically pleasing residences without the need for battlements or drawbridges, as the advent of gunpowder rendered even the sturdiest castle vulnerable to destruction by ...