CASTLE' (5 letters) The term 'stately abode' can be summarized by two crossword solutions: 'MANOR' and 'CASTLE'. A MANOR is a large house or estate, typically owned by a wealthy family. Castles are fortified structures built in the Middle Ages, usually by a noble or monarch, to protect their land and people. Both manors and castles were symbols of wealth and power, and were often surrounded by large tracts of land.