Savills UK | ‘The Manor House’ named as the most sought after quintessential English country home

Savills analysis looked at names associated with at least 30 sales over the past five years, and where at least one in five sales is £1 million or over, and found that the ancient feudal system, religion, mythology, beer and our nation’s flora still underpin what we consider to be prime. 

Manors, Mallards and Mill Houses; What in a name?

‘The Manor House’ was historically the main house of the Lord of the Manor in Anglo Saxon and Norman England is often the grandest house in the locality. 

Over the past five years, properties with this name have commanded a £1,400,000 price tag, on average. More than 2 in every 5 sales is worth more than £1 million pounds, almost four times more than the average house price in England & Wales.  

In second place is ‘The Old Rectory’ with an average price tag of £1,301,424. A property with this name typically dates from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian periods, and were built to reflect the importance of the role of the rector, the village taxman, and tend to be grand buildings with land. Half (50%) of the properties sold with this name over the past five years have been valued at over £1 million. 

For this reason, former rectories typically have a £200,000 higher price tag than ‘The Old Vicarage’, historically home to the vice-rector (The Vicar). This lower ranking meant a smaller property – and former vicarages typically take the form of smaller manor houses or cottages. Over the past five years, properties with this name have sold at an average price of £1,086,887, although fewer sales have been over £1 million (39%). 

“Certain English house names have held steady over hundreds of years, and tell us a lot about the provenance and history of the property – whether it be related to the feudal system, religion, mythology, our nation’s flora, and even beer,” comments Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills. 

“Still today, house names instantly conjure an image, whether it’s the distinctive roof line of an Oast House or the intricate timbers within a Tithe Barn. 

“Once home to those with the highest status in society, the likes of The Manor House, The Old Rectory and The Old Vicarage, still command the highest house prices, fending off the competition from more contemporary names such as Mallards and Timbers.” 

Table 1: House names and average values 

Source: Savills research 

Phillippa Dalby-Welsh, head of Savills Country Department, comments, “The name of a house can give it a particular charm, even a notional personality, before a prospective buyer has even set eyes on the property. Quintessentially English names symbolise ideal country living, and conjure up images of period drama.

“Manor houses, rectories and vicarages, in particular, benefit from central locations typically sitting on the edge or at the centre of the village. Properties which historically symbolised high stature are also usually very well proportioned with high ceilings and large windows, and good sized gardens, perfect for modern day families. 

“The timeless appeal to these homes mean that they will never go out of fashion and will always be highly sought after by buyers.”