It was built around 1180 by Hugh de Plais, and comprised a three-storey tower, a substantial hall, and a service block, with a separate kitchen positioned near the house.

The house was not fortified, although it drew on architectural features typically found in castles of the period, and instead formed a very large, high-status domestic dwelling.

The ruins formed an ornamental feature in the grounds of nearby Weeting Hall from 1770 onwards, and passed into the ownership of the state in 1926 when the government acquired the surrounding estate.

[4][nb 1] Hugh's manor house was around 30 by 14 metres (98 by 46 ft) across and comprised three sections running south to north: a chamber block, the main hall, and a service wing.

[6] The moat was not intended to actually defend the site, but would have aesthetically framed the view of the house within it for anyone approaching the property, highlighting the wealth of its owners.

[21] The moat still partially floods in winter, and the site is now accessed by an earth causeway in the north-west corner, possibly dating to the creation of the nearby hall in the 18th century.