Manoir Holidays in France

A Manoir is a fortified French rural manor house, which would originally have been home to local gentry or the lord of the manor. Today many Manoir have been renovated into sophisticated, spacious and flexible holiday accommodation, ideal for a larger family or group.

Benefits of a Manoir holiday

A Manoir has a unique charm all of its own, with lots of historic tales to tell and individual architectural features such as watchtowers, outer walls and gatehouses. Most Manoirs are set in their own spacious grounds giving lots of space to explore and relax, and are usually found in typically unspoilt rural areas of France. One of the best features of a Manoir holiday is that there is often a great choice of accommodation available, so it could be the ideal venue for a special family event, anniversary or birthday celebration, or for old friends to get together.

History of Manoirs in France

The classic French Manoir is a fortified manor house, with a range of high status buildings protected by an outer wall or moat. Manoirs usually consist of a great hall, or ‘salle haute’, where the lord of the manor would entertain guests, above a ‘salle basse’ where the local peasantry would gather. A range of outbuildings are often found around the central courtyard including stables, a dovecote and chapel. Manoir originated in medieval times and continued to be used in a defensive role through the Hundred Years War and well into the 17th Century.

Where to find Manoir in France

Manoir are most often to be found in the western French provinces of Brittany and Normandy, but also in parts of in Charente, Aquitane and the Loire.