Hi everyone,
I do apologize for not noticing all the replies to my post about this manor house. So many great ideas here. I appreciate all of the hunting and research that had gone into your thoughtful replies. Regarding the photo itself, I can't say if there is anything written on the back of the manor house image. It's actually pasted (very well) into the photo album. I don't believe I could remove it without damaging the photograph. The paper used for this image is not as heavy as cabinet card or cdv card stock. Most of the cartes in the photo album were taken in the 1870s and 1880s, with a few from the 1860s.
Dobfarm: the cdvs are the type of photo that were produced on cardboard stock and the size of calling cards, roughly 2 1/8" X 3 1/2". They began to be produced in the late 1850s and were most popular in the 1860s and 1870s. The first cdvs were on a thinner card with one or two thin lines as a border, and by the 1880s the cardstock had become heavier and the borders much more ornate.
I have to agree that the manor seems to be in a state of upgrade...it's very bare around the house, and I wonder if renovation work on the house and grounds is the cause. I also think this photo was taken of the back of the house, perhaps to show off the garden.