The lord had three basic duties:

• to give military protection to his land and its inhabitants

• to organize agriculture, industry and trade on his lands

• to serve the lord or lords above him (the highest lord being the king) in war

The lord lived in a well protected dwelling.  It was usually constructed on a hill or other high place, and was often surrounded by a moat (a ditch of water).  Frequently, it was a wooden castle with separate rooms for servants, toilets, kitchen and storage.  However, living quarters were usually not large compared to modern standards.  For example, one large room usually served as a dining room, living room and bedroom.  Windows were small and often covered to keep out the rain.  However, lords could more easily afford candles or torches to provide some light.

The lord rose at dawn to attend to his work.  This involved supervising the various operations of the manor.  The main role of the manor was to produce food for the lord and his subjects.  Because the lords needed food as much as the serfs, the lords were usually quite active in managing the agricultural output of the manor.  If the manor produced a surplus of food, it was the lord's responsibility to find a market for it.  Other tasks included organizing the construction and maintenance of bridges, roads, canals, etc.  The entire burden of planning and organizing this work was the lord's, unless he could find a very able serf to whom he could entrust some of his authority.

The lord also served as judge of the village.  Although often the serfs were allowed to stage their own trials, the lord remained the ultimate authority in these issues.  He also profited from fines paid by offenders.

The lord's wife was equally busy organizing the household.  She bore and raised many children, and made sure they developed proper manners.  She also supervised the many tasks of the servants, such as making butter and cheese, doing laundry, preserving meat, preparing meals, making clothes, etc.  If her husband went to war she took over the financial and military management of the manor, and was expected to supply his financial needs during the war.  If her husband died and they had no son, she inherited the estate, but was expected to remarry within a short time in order to provide her estate with military protection.