The house is surrounded by an extensive estate laid out as a ferme ornée, part of which is now the Folly Farm nature reserve.

Since the early modern period the house has been the country seat of several prominent families including the St Loes, one of whom married Bess of Hardwick.

The original tower of a fortified house forms a central part of the current building and was built in the 14th century by Walter de Sutton.

Wade suggest that Bishop Hooper, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester, found asylum at Sutton Court around 1550 during the Marian Persecutions when the house was owned by the Protestant sympathiser Sir John St Loe, a Member of Parliament (MP) and High Sheriff of Somerset.

His official positions included Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, Chief Butler of England and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire.

[26] During the 1970s major restoration work was undertaken to deal with dry rot and replace wiring which resulted in the removal of several ceilings and decorations from many of the rooms.

[27] The building is now private apartments set in fifteen acres (3 ha) of communal grounds, including a trout lake and tennis court.

[28] Sutton Court is built of squared and coursed sandstone rubble throughout with freestone and ashlar dressings, copings, slate roofs.

[1] The north front comprises a central three-storey fourteenth century pele tower with a taller circular stair turret and two-storey ranges linking it to the 1558 'Bess of Hardwick Building' to the left and a four bay 1858–1860 servants' wing of three storeys to the right.

[1] Windows to the pele tower and right-hand linking range are 15th century, of two cusped lights with hood moulds, some of which have been renewed, and some relocated from other areas.

[2] During the late 18th and early 19th centuries a ferme ornée was established,[6] with planting of various trees and the damming of streams to form ponds with paths and seating around them.