[1] The plot tells the love story of a gentleman, Orlando Somerive, and his aunt's servant, Monimia Morysine.

[1] The Old Manor House is sometimes considered the best of Charlotte Smith's ten novels,[1][3] drawing particular praise for its deep characterization, engaging plot, and descriptions of nature.

[3] Smith composed the novel between August 1792 and January 1793, a period when the French Revolution was growing more violent.

[3] Her previous novel, Desmond (1792), was explicitly political in its depiction of contemporary events, and received strong criticism for its pro-French ideas.

[3] As anti-French sentiment grew even stronger in England, Smith grew less direct about her political ideas; The Old Manor House expresses similar ideals as Smith's earlier work, but filtered through her country's recent history rather than current events.