The ‘manor’ was the basic unit of land ownership in England in the medieval period. Manors typically consisted of a large manor house, inhabited by the lord of the manor, and a surrounding estate. The estate typically included both land reserved for the lord of the manor’s own personal use (the demesne, or home farm) and land let to tenants. A lord often owned several manors in different parts of the country, in which case a particular manor house might only be inhabited by its lord for short periods of time before he moved on to another of his manors. Nevertheless, even when the lord was absent, the manor house would have formed the centre of administration for the estate.
There have been several manors in Oakington and Westwick over the centuries. These included:
In Oakington:
- The Manor of Crowland Abbey was the largest landowner in Oakington at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, owning over half of the land in the parish. It would continue to dominate the village for many centuries. After Crowland Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539 the estate was purchased by Queens’ College Cambridge who owned it into the 20th century. The estate gave rise to Manor Farm and Slate Hall Farm. Its manor house is now 71 High Street.
- The Lays’ Manor, as it was known around 1300, derived from land held in 1086 by Countess Judith. From the Lays it subsequently passed by the Lengleys, Restwolds and Hattons among others. Hatton’s Great Farm, as it later became known, was divided into Meadow Farm and Poplar farm at some point after the 1834 Enclosure Act.
- The Olifards’ Manor also derived from land held in 1086 by Countess Judith. It was initially held by the Olifards and subsequently passed to the Willoughby and Elmes families. It may have corresponded to Free School Estate left by Mrs Elizabeth March in 1722.
- The Rushtons and Moreyns Manor may have derived from land held in 1086 by Picot the sheriff of Cambridge. It may have subsequently been incorporated into the estate of the Lays’ Manor.
In Westwick:
- Westwick Hall, known as Lisle’s Manor in medieval times, was the largest landowner in Westwick in 1086. The Linton family built the current Westwick Hall in 1855–56, replacing the earlier manor house. In 1861 the Lintons’ estate covered over 500 acres, extending well beyond Westwick.
- Belbouches Manor, as it became known, was the smaller of the two manors recorded in Westwick in 1086, when it may have been occupied by solely by its lord and his family, who had no other recorded estates. The manor had largely disappeared by the end of the 15th century.
More information can be found by following the links below.
Oakington Manors | Crowland Manor | Lays Manor | Olifards Manor | Rushtons and Moreyns Manor
Westwick Manors | Belbouches Manor | Westwick Hall
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