Roger Pratt was born in 1620 and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford and at the Inner Temple, although he never practised law.

[2] His travelling influenced his subsequent career; he later offered advice to those unable to design their own houses; "[get] some ingenious gentleman who has seen much of that kind abroad and been somewhat versed in the best authors of Architecture; viz.

[5] Summerson describes it as of "rather a novel fashion, reflecting his French sympathies in a central high-roofed pavilion".

Nikolaus Pevsner, in his Buildings of England, notes that only "the shell remains", following Soane's remodelling.

[5] Soane raised the height of the two flanking wings, reordered the roofline and constructed a new porch on the north frontage of the house.

[11] Salvin's contribution was more modest; Allibone and Pevsner suggests it was limited to the addition of domestic offices and guest bedrooms,[8][5] although Historic England ascribes the bays on the eastern and western sides of the house to him.

[11] Further remodelling of the roof, and the construction of a portico on the south, garden, front, was undertaken in the early 20th century.