It consists primarily of a social housing estate of Wimpey no-fines houses and low-rise flats, built around 1953, with Rowanfield School and a playing field to the West separating it from Hesters Way and also the older Rowanfield Road to the East.
Cheltenham's King George the Fifth playing field is set to the west of the estate.
The pub opposite (at the time Cotterills Bar, named after the manager of Cheltenham Town Football Club and boldly decorated in the club's colours, previously The Golden Miller) was demolished in 2004 and is now small flats.
Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was in the South West England European Parliament constituency.
Around half of the houses in Rowanfield are owner-occupied as of 2006; the remainder are owned by the local authority, Cheltenham Borough Council.