It has remained essentially unchanged since 1710 and is presented as it was during the time of Sir Henry Edward Leigh Dryden (1818–1899), a Victorian antiquary with an interest in history.

The house sits in the midst of a formal garden with colourful herbaceous borders, an orchard featuring varieties of fruit trees from the 16th century, terraces, walls and gate piers from 1710.

In the 1590s John's son, Sir Erasmus Dryden, 1st Baronet completed the final north range of the house which enclosed the Pebble Courtyard.

[5] His daughter, the historian and photographer Alice Dryden (1866–1956) was born in the house and lived there for 33 years, capturing a valuable visual record of the property.

[9] During World War II, the London offices of 20th Century Fox films were evacuated to Canons Ashby House; the evacuee staff lived in the nearby village of Moreton Pinkney.

[11] Gervase Jackson-Stops, who was the Architectural Adviser to the National Trust for over twenty years, broke fresh ground when he fought for the rescue of the then decaying manor-house in the 1980s.

[12] In the early 18th century, Edward Dryden restyled the room in medieval fashion with armour and heraldry, along with a martial overmantel painting by Elizabeth Creed, a cousin of the family.

[17] Much original collection, which included a First Folio of Shakespeare, was sold at auction during the 20th century, however the National Trust has since reacquired many books associated with the house.

[21] This bedroom was named for the poet Edward Spenser, Sir Erasmus' cousin by marriage, who allegedly wrote part of The Faerie Queen during a visit.

[22] The well-preserved images represent the story of Jeroboam from the biblical Book of Kings, warning of the perils of venerating false gods.

[24] The room also features an early 18th century embroidered settee, produced for Edward Dryden by Thomas Phill; sold by the family between the wars, it was reacquired by the National Trust in 1983 through the support of an anonymous benefactor.

[27] Most notable are the painted panels in the room, added in the 1590s by Sir Erasmus, depicting coats of arms as well as a series of moral inscriptions in Latin.