Sentence:  The big <WSD>houses</WSD>, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them,nb.... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings. (from 9th c.)