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Dunster Castle

There has been a castle on the top of the tor at Dunster since before the Norman Conquest. After the Norman invasion in 1066, William the Conqueror granted the castle to William de Mohun, whose family owned the castle for the next three hundred years. Castles seem to build secure walls between friend and foe, but they are so often the places where we see how ill-defined friend and foe can be. Following the death of William the Conqueror it wasn't long before the Norman invaders were squabbling among themselves. The Conqueror's son Henry the First didn't get the throne without a fight with his brother. And when Henry the First died there was another power struggle, between Henry's daughter Mathilda, and Stephen, the Conqueror's grandson. The Mohun's of Dunster, supported Mathilda, and the castle was besieged and captured by King Stephen in 1138.

In 1376 the castle was sold to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell - whose family owned the castle until the twentieth century. During the English Civil War internal disputes swirled in and around the castle walls once more. In 1650, following the war, Parliament ordered that all of Dunster's fortifications be demolished. The house itself survived, and by the 1680s Colonel Francis Luttrell was refurbishing Dunster. At this point Dunster is yet again linked to internal upheavals. In 1688 the Glorious Revolution took place, when Parliament decided to oust the catholic king, James the Second and replace him with the protestant William of Orange. Francis Luttrell raised a regiment to support William's landing at Torbay. This regiment became known as the Green Howards, named after its commanding officer Charles Howard, a regiment which still forms part of the British Army today. It is one of the many ironies of national identity that an historic regiment of the British Army was actually formed to support an invasion of Britain. Muskets which are believed to have been used by men in the original Green Howards are on display at the castle. The present Green Howard's continue to view Dunster as their ancestral home, and events involving the regiment still occasionally take place at the castle.

In the 1860s George Fownes Luttrell had the castle remodelled to once again give it the appearance of a medieval fortress. The 1860s were a time of huge change. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, and Darwin had published Origin of Species in 1859. People were seeking apparent escape from the pace of these changes in idealisation of villages, the idealisation of childhood - children's literature dates from this period - and in the case of Dunster the romantic recreation of a medieval fortress. The last job of the castle walls was to symbolically stand against the passage of time.

The castle was handed to the National Trust by Sir Walter Luttrell in 1976. There is a restaurant and gift shop. Walks in the grounds give impressive views of Exmoor and the Bristol Channel.

Opening Times: From 15th March to 23rd July 11am - 4.30pm Friday to Wednesday, from 25th July to 3rd September 11am - 5pm Friday to Wednesday and from 5th September to 2nd November 11am - 4.30pm Friday to Wednesday. The parkland is open on a Thursday. There are occasional private events at the castle when it will be closed. Check first. Known closures at present are 6th and 27th June, 11th July, 12th September.

The grounds and shop are open every day

Directions: Take the A39 towards Minehaead in Somerset. Turn off at the A396 and follow signs. Click here for an interactive map centred on Dunster Castle.

Access: there are many steep slopes in the grounds, and stairs in the building. There is a wheelchair accessible transfer service from the car park to the castle,and a drop off point. A stair climber is available, but ring ahead. Accessible route maps of grounds, adapted toilet facilities, Braille and large print guides, are provided.

Contact:

phone: 01634 823004

web site: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-dunstercastle.htm