DUNSTER CASTLE

Somerset

Dunster Castle and village are an irresistable tourist draw.  Their position between coast and Exmoor make them an unmissable stop on any tour of Somerset.

Although the Castle has some of the appearance of a 'stately home' it is a quite genuine Castle. The first constructed here was a motte and bailey, the motte still exists. The motte was in fact a natural Tor, which was merely altered into a motte by William de Mohun shortly after the Normans arrived.  In 1376 the property was sold to the Luttrell family who lived here right up until the National Trust moved in earlier this century.

The main bulk of the Castle was constructed in the Jacobean period, although the gatehouse and some of the walls from the original Castle remain.  There was probably more in existence in 1646 when the Castle was held first for Parliament and then for the King.  It withstood a five month siege, something the Castle we see today could surely never had done.  It seems it was subsequently slighted.  A previous siege was recorded during the Anarchy.

The whole Castle was remodelled by Anthony Salvin in the 1860s, and sadly at about this time the original shell keep was 'landscaped' off of the motte and into history.

The Castle and its extensive grounds are owned by the National Trust.

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2018