Hampton was built for the Powell family, the main line of which had been seated at the timber-framed Worthen Hall, since 1571–2 when the Shrewsbury mercer, Richard Powell acquired the Worthen estate from Lord Stafford, an incident which some relate was in settlement of an unpaid debt of the peer. Powell served as Sheriff of Shropshire in 1594 and was succeeded by his second son, Richard, with a third son, John, establishing a junior line of the Powells at All Stretton.

The younger Richard Powell, died in 1626, and was succeeded by his son, another Richard (d. 1636), who was married twice: firstly to Sarah, the daughter of Francis Newton of Heightley, and secondly, in 1619, to Elizabeth, the daughter of Richard Corbet of Stoke-on-Tern. Richard Powell III had children by both wives; five daughters by the first Mrs Powell and two sons (who died as children) and five daughters by the second. Of the latter five daughters, it was the eldest, Ann, who succeeded to Worthen. For her husband, she married her cousin Henry Powell, who was the third son of John Powell of All Stretton.

This union of the two branches of the family was commemorated by the building of Hampton and the establishment of it as a seat in preference to Worthen. The house was set into the slope of the hill upon which it stands and its cellars were constructed of local stone. In the cellar is a stone carved with the date and initials 1681/H-P/I-F – the initials being for Henry Powell, son of John – whilst on the exterior of the west wing the date 1686 appears in the brick work, being the date of the shell’s completion. Henry and Ann Powell’s house most likely comprised the central south-facing seven bay block, and the two-bay wings, to east and west, which project forward. These wings are of two storeys, and each has a hipped roof – that the main block most likely also originally possessed. They remain with the same slender sashes of two pane width as the main body of the house. The main block, though, is distinguished with a half storey between its two floors, lit by circular windows in the end two bays of each side, suggesting an awareness of Wren’s work at Hampton Court.