Described as Northamptonshire's most impressive medieval mansion by Nikolaus Pevsner,[3] "one of the best-kept secrets of the English country house world" by architectural historian Gervase Jackson-Stops,[4] and (affectionately) "a most venerable heap of ugliness, with many curious bits" by Horace Walpole,[5] the house is generally held to have been begun in 1328.

[10] Although still a minor 8 years after his father's death in 1299, Sir Simon de Drayton would go on to success, being member of parliament for Northamptonshire several times between 1320 and 1347,[10] and likely began construction of the house present today in 1328,[6] when he received a licence to crenellate.

It eventually passed to Ralph's nephew, another Henry Green, who was High Sheriff through the Wars of the Roses, reportedly acting impartially and thus saving his landholdings—at that time "one of the most considerable Estates ... in the possession of any Gentlemen in the Kingdom of England".

Despite his father's loyalties, John's son Edward is often called a Lancastrian, by consequence of his support for Henry VII, fighting for him at the Battle of Blackheath and entertaining him at the house in 1498.

[6][26] Returning ill from Blackheath, Edward was without heirs, and it would seem he was initially keen for his wife, Margaret, daughter of the Lord Lisle, to have Drayton for life.

[28] Indeed, John (d.1562) rose to the Privy Council, was created Lord Mordaunt in 1532,[6] and had managed to cheaply purchase the marriage of Ella Fitzlewis, who had a large fortune, from the King for his son.

[31][33] According to the queen's secretary, William Fowler, the guests included the Earls of Worcester, Devonshire, Northampton, Sussex, and Salisbury, and the Duke of Lennox.

Two Gunpowder Plot conspirators Ambrose Rookwood and Thomas Winter had been at Drayton on the day before King James arrived.

Well regarded, he was called "the Star of the University" whilst at Oxford, and thus he caught James I's eye, so meaning he was relieved from the remaining £10,000 fine placed on his father.

[41][43] Regardless, he was involved in the Second English Civil War with the Earl of Holland, of whom a full-length portrait by Mytens still hangs in the Dining Room.

[48] Therefore, to increase funds, Henry (1623–1697) accepted the position of Governor of Tangier from 1661 to 1663, although he resigned it swiftly for a pension which was worth that thousand pounds per year.

During this time, he also worked with his chaplain, “Mr Rans”,[50] to produce a family history, Succinct Genealogies, published in 1685,[6] under the pseudonym "Halstead".

A Whig, Charles was suspected in the Rye House Plot, moving to Holland, reportedly being the first person to encourage William of Orange "to undertake the business of England.

Meanwhile, Henry (1623–1697) had become a suspect in the Popish Plot, and openly admitted to his religious conversion to Catholicism (persuaded by James II) in 1687.

Henry had ensured that the Drayton would pass with the barony to Mary Howard (née Mordaunt), Duchess of Norfolk, instead of with the earldom to his nephew, Charles.

His mother was herself "very handsome" and was supposedly the wife of a private soldier in William II, Prince of Orange's Life Guards.

[59] On his death in 1718, he passed the house on to his much younger second wife,[62] who he married in 1706,[54] Lady Elizabeth (Betty) Germain (née Berkeley) (1680–1769).

Thus, on his death bed, Sir John reportedly encouraged her to remarry—this time not to an old man—and secure an heir for the estate, and if this was not possible, to pass it on to a younger son of his "Friend, the Duchess of Dorset.

[54] Therefore, true to Sir John's wishes, she gave the house to George, her cousin[6] and a son of the Duchess of Dorset, on her death.

[64] However, this did not stop him from undertaking refurbishments to catch up with the 50-year backlog, although these were curtailed by his becoming Secretary of State for the Colonies and so no longer being able to reside at Drayton for long periods, being needed in London.

[64] It was through his brother's line that Drayton would descend on his death (which resulted in the extinction of the Dukedom and Viscountcy) in 1843, passing to George's daughter, Caroline Harriet Sackville,[66][67] and her husband, William Bruce Stopford,[45][68] from 1870[67] Stopford-Sackville.

[75] Nigel's son[citation needed], Lionel Geoffrey[76] Stopford Sackville, inherited the house on his father's death in 1972[72] and moved to live at Drayton in 1973, commencing a series of restorations over the next two decades.

[79] Although most commonly held to have been begun by Sir Simon de Drayton upon gaining a licence to crenellate in 1328,[6] some have also claimed that the undercroft to the original solar of the house predates this and is from the reign of Edward I.

Regardless, by the end of the time of Sir Simon (the mid-14th century) there was almost certainly a house, similar in original layout to Penshurst, with a defensive wall and moat, still partly extant, around it.

The house covered the current main courtyard, likely including rooms along the South wall,[22] which retains bays from the early 14th century.

Whilst little 15th century masonry remains prominent, John Alfred Gotch's survey of the house identified significant areas from that period.

A significant addition was the North wing, dated 1584, which includes an antiquarian cellar in its basement, similar plan but not stylistically to the older undercroft to its South.

There are two drawings of mantelpieces in a collection of their drawings formerly owned by the Dukes of Devonshire and later by the Royal Institute of British Architects, signed by Webb and dated 1653, one "For ye Bed chamber in ye ground Story of Drayton," recognisable as that of the State bedroom (although the lower half has been modified), and another for "the withdrawing roome to the Bedchamber in the lower Story at Drayton."

A room of particular interest is the closet to the east of the State bedroom, which contains cut lacquer panels with scenes of people in the gardens outside houses.

[87] Since the release of the film, due largely to a popular video on the social media app TikTok, the home has been "plagued by trespassers and influencers" according to the owner.