E X T E N S I O N CASTLES AND MANORS When we think of England, we think of castles. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, castles were military fortifications. They were the symbol of the power of the king or the baron. In the castle there was the church, the peasants 1 houses and the manor. The manor was the baron s home and was a self-sufficient2 house, because there was usually a mill3, a bakery4, a blacksmith5 and a lot of agricultural land. Today, there are not many original medieval manors, but many Tudor or Stuart6 buildings are similar to manors: there are large woods around them, orchards7, gardens and lakes where you can fish. Some rich English people use old manors for special events, like weddings8 or parties and tourists can find holiday accommodation9 in manors. They are beautiful places, full of history, but quite expensive. Burnett s Misselthwaite Manor is a fictional10 place, but you can stay for a weekend in today s Misselthwaite Manor: it is a nice B&B cottage in Gloucester, Massachussets (USA). Enjoy your stay! 1. peasant: a person who has a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps animals, etc. on it. 2. self-sufficient: independent. 5. blacksmith: an artisan who makes or repairs metal objects. 6. Tudor/Stuart: two important royal families in the 16th and 17th centuries. 7. orchard: a garden with fruit-trees. 8. wedding: the day when you get married. 9. accommodation: place where you can live, stay. 10. fictional: invented. 3. mill: 4. bakery: a place where you can make and/or buy bread. Misselthwaite Manor B&B today 45