The site, on the boundary of the parish of Ugborough is occupied by the remains of a large Tudor mansion and associated outbuildings. The house faces south east and is built into the bottom of a steep sided valley with walled gardens to the west and farm buildings to the east. A number of small springs feed the extensive landscape park and the remains of what appears to be a water garden consisting of a series of ponds within the trough of the valley.

The mansion is currently covered by dense vegetation which when combined with its ruinous state makes interpretation problematic (figure 1). The walled gardens are in a similar state as are the lower three ponds to the south west of the house. Most of the interpretations are thus based on limited structural features, similar examples and the evidence presented by many historic documents. The rest of the estate shows continued development particularly the farm buildings to the east of the house which remain in use. Since 1998 a major restoration project has been underway at Fowlescombe by the current owners with the help of their son, an architect.