The part of a manor retained by the lord for their own use and management.
Dominical, also written as demesne, refers to the land of a manor kept by the lord for their own use.
Unlike tenant holdings, the demesne was managed for the benefit of the lord and could include farmland, meadows, woodland and buildings.
The cultivation of the demesne was often supported by labour services owed by tenants, although these obligations varied over time and between different manors.
The demesne formed the economic centre of many medieval and early modern estates.
See also:
Manor
Lord of the Manor
Tenant
Bailiff
Reeve
