The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word MANOR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
N
O
R
More clues leading to the result MANOR
- Big house in local police area
- Fellow joining soldiers in mansion
- Millions are right about name of police district
- Modest abode originally, and not a landed estate
- Officer has name for judge in estate
- Island's an alternative to a big house
- Mode of speech in grand house
- Wander westwards around northern area
- Landed estate’s custom, reportedly
- Large building with staff and soldiers
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "area" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case area = manor.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MANOR mean?
MANOR noun- A landed estate.
- The main house of such an estate or a similar residence; a mansion.
- A district over which a feudal lord could exercise certain rights and privileges in medieval western Europe.
- The lord's residence and seat of control in such a district.
- Any home area or territory in which authority is exercised, often in a police or criminal context.
- One's neighbourhood.