The nobleman lived on his manor. Most manor farms looked like large, ordinary farms. The dwelling-house was large and well built. There were also a number of buildings, like stables, a cow-shed, a brewing-house, store-houses for food, a kitchen, a smithy and dwellings for the servants. The grandest manor-houses were built of stone. Some of them were fortified with a palisade and surrounded by a moat. Some were built on a peninsula or on some other location which was easy to defend. People were impressed if you could afford to build a house of stone.
The nobleman had to own at least four farms to be able to afford arms, an armour and a horse. The richest noblemen might own hundreds of farms.
During the 14th century the noblemen became both wealthier and more powerful. Many of them built strongholds and castles. Queen Margaret was afraid that the nobility would grow too influential - therefore she did not allow the building of private castles. Some of the castles of the aristocracy were torn down in the 1390’s.
The noblemen earned their living by leasing their farms to the peasants. The peasants paid a fee for the farms. They also had to do labour-service at the nobleman’s manor. At the manor, farm-hands were employed who farmed the land, and took care of the animals. They also worked in the forests. A bailiff led the work. He saw to it that the tenant farmers took proper care of the farms and paid their tax.
The nobleman had a lot of power over "his" peasants. The Swedish Royal Council said, in the 15th century, that "he was the King over his tenants".
On the continent, the noblemen had even more power over the peasants than in the Nordic countries.