The house was built in 1653 by the Freke family, who had bought the estate in 1605, and possibly incorporates parts of a previous parsonage.

The east front is of two and a half storeys in five bays, made of rubble with ashlar dressings.

An inscription below the front parapet celebrates the brotherly love of Raufe and William Freke, the sons of Sir Thomas Freke, the original owner.

[1] The house has twenty rooms and stands in 340 acres of pasture and woodland.

During the Second World War it was occupied by the female Auxiliary Units' Special Duties Section, known as the "Secret Sweeties", under the command of Senior Commander Beatrice Temple, which was to form part of the British resistance movement in the event of a German invasion.