Dunster
Encyclopedia
Dunster is a village and civil parish in west Somerset
, England, situated on the Bristol Channel
coast 2.5 miles (4 km) south-southeast of Minehead
and 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of Taunton
. The village has a population of 862 (2001
).
The village has numerous restaurants and three pubs. West Street is the oldest street; though a quieter street than the high street it has three specialist shops: a Christmas shop, a kitchenware shop, and a gift shop. At the end of West Street is Dunster Working Watermill
.
Dunster was listed in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Torre, meaning 'The rocky hill' from the Old English tor. The prefix 'Duns' may well be a reference to the Saxon
Dunn, who held land in nearby Elworthy
and Willet before 1066.
Dunster Beach, which includes the mouth of the River Avill
, is located half a mile from the village, and used to have a significant harbour, known as Dunster Haven, which was used for the export of wool from Saxon
times; however, it was last used in the 17th century and has now disappeared among the dykes, meadows and marshes near the shore. The beach site has a number of privately owned beach huts (or chalets as some owners call them) along with a small shop, a tennis court and a putting green. The chalets, measuring 18 by, can be let out for holidays; some owners live in them all the year round.
and Black Ball Camp
on Gallox Hill (also known as British Camp). They were Iron Age
hill fort
s. There was a similar earthwork on Grabbist Hill.
Dunster is mentioned not only as a manor belonging to William de Moyon
in the Domesday Book
in 1086 but also the site of his castle.
The 15th-century Gallox Bridge
was one of the main routes over the River Avill
on the southern outskirts.
Dunster was part of the hundred of Carhampton
.
During the English Civil War
, Dunster was initially held as a garrison for the Royalists
. It fell to the Parliamentarians
in 1645 and orders were sent out for the castle to be demolished. However, these were not carried out, and the castle remained the garrison for Parliamentarian troops until 1650.
Dunster is regularly home to Taunton Garrison who re-enact plays, battles, and life in the civil war.
Dunster was the birthplace of the song All Things Bright and Beautiful
when Cecil Alexander
was staying with Mary Martin. The nearby hill, Grabbist, was originally heather-covered before tree plantation and was described as the "Purple headed mountain". Mary Martin was daughter of one of the owners of Martins Bank
.
During the Second World War, considerable defences were built along the coast as a part of British anti-invasion preparations
, though the north coast of Somerset was an unlikely invasion site. Some of the structures remain to this day. Most notable are the pillboxes on the foreshore of Dunster Beach. These are strong buildings made from pebbles taken from the beach and bonded together with concrete. From these, soldiers could have held their ground if the Germans ever invaded.
groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district
of West Somerset
, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
; previously it was part of Williton Rural District
. The district council is responsible for local planning
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
, market
s and fairs, refuse collection and recycling
, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
.
Somerset County Council
is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education
, social services, libraries
, main roads, public transport
, policing
and fire services, trading standards
, waste disposal and strategic planning.
As Dunster falls within the Exmoor National Park, some functions normally administered by district or county councils have, since 1997, fallen under the Exmoor National Park Authority, which is known as a 'single-purpose' authority, whose purpose is to "conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks" and "promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks by the public", including responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment.
It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
by the first past the post system of election, and is part of the South West England constituency
of the European Parliament
; the constituency elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
noted for nationally important lowland dry heath, dry lowland acid grassland, wood-pasture with veteran trees and ancient semi-natural oak woodland
habitats. The fauna of the lowland heath includes the Heath fritillary
(Mellicta athalia), a nationally rare butterfly. The assemblage of beetles associated with the veteran trees is of national significance.
Dunster, in Exmoor
National Park, has many listed buildings including 200 Grade II, two Grade I and two Grade I*.
Dunster Castle
is situated on a steep hill overlooking the village. Of the Norman
castle
, sited on what is now the keep, little remains except for the 13th-century gatehouse. The present building was developed in 1617 with subsequent refurbishment in the 1680s including fine plasterwork ceilings and the main staircase. The castle was largely remodelled in the Victorian period by Anthony Salvin
. Salvin added towers and turrets giving the castle its fairy-tale appearance. The castle came into the possession of the Luttrell family in the late 14th century and remained in their ownership until it was given to the National Trust
in 1976. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
The 17th-century Yarn Market
(1609) was an important centre for the dominant wool trade. The building contains a hole in one of the roof beams, a result of cannon fire in the Civil War
.
The Priory Church of St George
is predominantly 15th century with evidence of 12th and 13th century work. It was restored
in 1875–77 by George Edmund Street
. The church has a cruciform plan with a central four-stage tower, built in 1443 with diagonal buttresses, a stair turret and single bell-chamber windows.
Other notable buildings include the Nunnery, Dunster Mill
, Dovecote
and the Priory barn
, which belonged to Dunster Priory
.
The Luttrell Arms
was formerly a guest house for the Abbot
s of Cleeve
; its oldest section dates from 1443. The hotel now has 28 ensuite rooms.
Conygar Tower
is a folly
used as a landmark for shipping. It is situated on the top of Conygar Hill and overlooks the village. It was designed and built by Richard Phelps in 1776 and was commissioned by Henry Fownes Luttrell. It has no strategic or military significance.
Other attractions include a Doll Museum
.
is on the West Somerset Heritage Railway
, though the station is over a mile from the village. It is in what is known locally as the Marsh.
Hobby Horse
visits Dunster and is received at the Castle. A local newspaper printed in May 1863 says "The origin professes to be in commemoration of the wreck of a vessel at Minehead in remote times, or the advent of a sort of phantom ship which entered the harbour without Captain or crew. Once the custom was encouraged, but now is much neglected, and perhaps soon will fall into desuetude." Another conjecture about its origin is that the hobby horse was the ancient King of the May. The Hobby Horse tradition begins with the waking of the inhabitants of Minehead by the beating of a loud drum. The hobby horse dances its way about the town and on to Dunster Castle. The Sailors' horse with drummers and a squeeze box or accordion playing traditional tunes. From Dunster it returns to Minehead, collecting donations on the way and searching out money in the pubs; originally the custom was to sneak into houses, supposedly leaving good luck behind it.
A more recent tradition (started in 1987) is Dunster by Candlelight which takes place every year on the first Friday and Saturday in December when this remarkably preserved medieval village turns its back on the present and lights its streets with candles.
To mark the beginning of the festival on Friday at 5 pm, there is the Lantern Lighting Procession that starts on the Steep and continues through the village until all the lanterns in the streets have been lit. The procession of children and their families is accompanied by colourful stilt walkers in costumes who put up the lanterns.
The old English Christmas tradition of burning the Ashen faggot
takes place at the Luttrell Arms hotel every Christmas Eve.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, situated on the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
coast 2.5 miles (4 km) south-southeast of Minehead
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
and 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
. The village has a population of 862 (2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
).
The village has numerous restaurants and three pubs. West Street is the oldest street; though a quieter street than the high street it has three specialist shops: a Christmas shop, a kitchenware shop, and a gift shop. At the end of West Street is Dunster Working Watermill
Dunster Working Watermill
Dunster Working Watermill is a restored 18th century watermill, situated on the River Avill, in the grounds of Dunster Castle in Dunster, Somerset, England....
.
Dunster was listed in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Torre, meaning 'The rocky hill' from the Old English tor. The prefix 'Duns' may well be a reference to the Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
Dunn, who held land in nearby Elworthy
Elworthy
Elworthy is a small village and civil parish in the Brendon Hills south-east of Watchet, and west of Taunton, in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England...
and Willet before 1066.
Dunster Beach, which includes the mouth of the River Avill
River Avill
The River Avill is a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England.It rises on the eastern slopes of Dunkery Beacon and flows north through Timberscombe and Dunster flowing into the Bristol Channel at Dunster Beach....
, is located half a mile from the village, and used to have a significant harbour, known as Dunster Haven, which was used for the export of wool from Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times; however, it was last used in the 17th century and has now disappeared among the dykes, meadows and marshes near the shore. The beach site has a number of privately owned beach huts (or chalets as some owners call them) along with a small shop, a tennis court and a putting green. The chalets, measuring 18 by, can be let out for holidays; some owners live in them all the year round.
History
Just southwest of Dunster are Bat's CastleBat's Castle
Bats Castle is an Iron Age hill fort at the top of a high hill in the parish of Carhampton south south west of Dunster in Somerset, England.The site was identified in 1983 after some schoolboys found eight silver plated coins dating from 102BC to AD350....
and Black Ball Camp
Black Ball Camp
Black Ball Camp is an Iron Age hill fort South West of Dunster, Somerset, England on the northern summit of Gallox Hill. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument....
on Gallox Hill (also known as British Camp). They were Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
s. There was a similar earthwork on Grabbist Hill.
Dunster is mentioned not only as a manor belonging to William de Moyon
William de Moyon
William de Moyon or William de Moion was seigneur of Moyon and Sheriff of Somerset in 1086. William is mentioned in the Domesday Book where he is shown to control a large number of manors in Somerset centred on Dunster Castle. Manors he controlled included Minehead, West Quantoxhead and Combe...
in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 but also the site of his castle.
The 15th-century Gallox Bridge
Gallox Bridge, Dunster
The Gallox Bridge in Dunster, Somerset, England dates from the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument. The bridge is in the guardianship of English Heritage....
was one of the main routes over the River Avill
River Avill
The River Avill is a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England.It rises on the eastern slopes of Dunkery Beacon and flows north through Timberscombe and Dunster flowing into the Bristol Channel at Dunster Beach....
on the southern outskirts.
Dunster was part of the hundred of Carhampton
Carhampton (hundred)
The Hundred of Carhampton is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Dunster was initially held as a garrison for the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
. It fell to the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
in 1645 and orders were sent out for the castle to be demolished. However, these were not carried out, and the castle remained the garrison for Parliamentarian troops until 1650.
Dunster is regularly home to Taunton Garrison who re-enact plays, battles, and life in the civil war.
Dunster was the birthplace of the song All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful is an Anglican hymn, also popular with other Christian denominations.The piece can be sung to several melodies, in particular the 17th-century English melody "Royal Oak", adapted by Martin Shaw, and "Bright and Beautiful" by William Henry Monk...
when Cecil Alexander
Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander
Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander , was a hymn-writer and poet.She was born in Dublin, the daughter of Major John Humphreys and Elizabeth . She began writing verse in her childhood...
was staying with Mary Martin. The nearby hill, Grabbist, was originally heather-covered before tree plantation and was described as the "Purple headed mountain". Mary Martin was daughter of one of the owners of Martins Bank
Martins Bank
Martins Bank Limited was a Liverpool-based British finanical services company that was taken over by Barclays Bank in 1969. The company has its origins in the 16th century and was said to have been founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, who began trading in Lombard Street under the sign of a grasshopper...
.
During the Second World War, considerable defences were built along the coast as a part of British anti-invasion preparations
British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in...
, though the north coast of Somerset was an unlikely invasion site. Some of the structures remain to this day. Most notable are the pillboxes on the foreshore of Dunster Beach. These are strong buildings made from pebbles taken from the beach and bonded together with concrete. From these, soldiers could have held their ground if the Germans ever invaded.
Governance
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watchNeighbourhood Watch (UK)
The Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the United Kingdom is a partnership where people come together to make their communities safer. It involves the Police, Community Safety departments of local authorities, other voluntary organisations and, above all, individuals and families who want to make their...
groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of West Somerset
West Somerset
West Somerset is a local government district in the English county of Somerset. The council covers a largely rural area, with a population of 35,075 in an area of ....
, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
; previously it was part of Williton Rural District
Williton Rural District
Williton was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894.In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 when it became part of West Somerset....
. The district council is responsible for local planning
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...
, market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s and fairs, refuse collection and recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county.-Area covered:...
is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
, social services, libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, main roads, public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, policing
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and fire services, trading standards
Trading Standards
Trading Standards is the name given to local authority departments in the UK formerly known as Weights and Measures. These departments investigate commercial organisations that carry out trade in unethical ways or outside the scope of the law.-History:...
, waste disposal and strategic planning.
As Dunster falls within the Exmoor National Park, some functions normally administered by district or county councils have, since 1997, fallen under the Exmoor National Park Authority, which is known as a 'single-purpose' authority, whose purpose is to "conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks" and "promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks by the public", including responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment.
It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
by the first past the post system of election, and is part of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
; the constituency elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
Geography
Nearby is the Dunster Park and HeathlandsDunster Park and Heathlands
Dunster Park and Heathlands is a 466.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 2000.This site is located in the north-east of the Exmoor National Park within a few miles of the Bristol Channel near the village of Dunster, and is notified for nationally...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
noted for nationally important lowland dry heath, dry lowland acid grassland, wood-pasture with veteran trees and ancient semi-natural oak woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
habitats. The fauna of the lowland heath includes the Heath fritillary
Heath Fritillary
The Heath Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found throughout the Palaearctic from Western Europe to Japan, in heathland, grassland, and in coppiced woodland. Its association with coppiced woodland earned it the name "Woodman's Follower" in parts of the UK...
(Mellicta athalia), a nationally rare butterfly. The assemblage of beetles associated with the veteran trees is of national significance.
Landmarks
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
National Park, has many listed buildings including 200 Grade II, two Grade I and two Grade I*.
Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England. The castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor, and has been fortified since the late Anglo-Saxon period. After the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century,...
is situated on a steep hill overlooking the village. Of the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, sited on what is now the keep, little remains except for the 13th-century gatehouse. The present building was developed in 1617 with subsequent refurbishment in the 1680s including fine plasterwork ceilings and the main staircase. The castle was largely remodelled in the Victorian period by Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
. Salvin added towers and turrets giving the castle its fairy-tale appearance. The castle came into the possession of the Luttrell family in the late 14th century and remained in their ownership until it was given to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1976. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building.
The 17th-century Yarn Market
Yarn Market, Dunster
The Yarn Market in Dunster, Somerset, England was built around 1590 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument....
(1609) was an important centre for the dominant wool trade. The building contains a hole in one of the roof beams, a result of cannon fire in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
The Priory Church of St George
Priory Church of St George, Dunster
The Priory Church of St George in Dunster, Somerset, England is predominantly 15th century with evidence of 12th and 13th century work. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
is predominantly 15th century with evidence of 12th and 13th century work. It was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1875–77 by George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. The church has a cruciform plan with a central four-stage tower, built in 1443 with diagonal buttresses, a stair turret and single bell-chamber windows.
Other notable buildings include the Nunnery, Dunster Mill
Dunster Working Watermill
Dunster Working Watermill is a restored 18th century watermill, situated on the River Avill, in the grounds of Dunster Castle in Dunster, Somerset, England....
, Dovecote
Dunster Dovecote
The Dovecote in Dunster, Somerset, England was probably built in the late 16th century. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument....
and the Priory barn
Tithe Barn, Dunster
The Tithe Barn is a 14th century tithe barn in Dunster, Somerset, England.It has a cruciform plan. The east front has central double doors in heavy oak with a chamfered frame. It is a grade II listed building....
, which belonged to Dunster Priory
Dunster Priory
Dunster Priory was established as a Benedictine monastery around 1100 in Dunster, Somerset, England.The first church in Dunster was built by William de Mohun who gave the church and the tithes of several manors and two fisheries, to the Benedictine Abbey at Bath. The priory, which was situated...
.
The Luttrell Arms
Luttrell Arms
The Luttrell Arms in Dunster, Somerset, England was built in the late 15th century and has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.The building was formerly a guest house for the Abbots of Cleeve Abbey....
was formerly a guest house for the Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s of Cleeve
Cleeve
Cleeve may refer to:*Cleeve, a village in North Somerset*Old Cleeve, a small village between Williton and Dunster in Somerset.*Chapel Cleeve, another small village between Williton and Dunster in Somerset....
; its oldest section dates from 1443. The hotel now has 28 ensuite rooms.
Conygar Tower
Conygar Tower
The Conygar Tower in Dunster, Somerset, England was built in 1775 and has been designated as a Grade II listed building.It is a circular, 3 storey folly tower built of red sandstone, situated on a hill overlooking the village. It was commissioned by Henry Luttrell and designed by Richard Phelps and...
is a folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
used as a landmark for shipping. It is situated on the top of Conygar Hill and overlooks the village. It was designed and built by Richard Phelps in 1776 and was commissioned by Henry Fownes Luttrell. It has no strategic or military significance.
Other attractions include a Doll Museum
Dunster Doll Museum
The Doll Museum in Dunster, Somerset, England houses a collection of over 800 dolls from around the world, based on the collection of the late Mollie Hardwick, who died in 1970 and donated her collection to the village memorial hall committee....
.
Transport
Dunster railway stationDunster railway station
Dunster railway station is near Dunster, Somerset, England and is on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway.-History:The station was opened on 16 July 1874 by the Minehead Railway. The line was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway which was also amalgamated into the Great Western...
is on the West Somerset Heritage Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, though the station is over a mile from the village. It is in what is known locally as the Marsh.
Culture
On the evening of 1 May each year the MineheadMinehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
Hobby Horse
Hobby horse
The term hobby horse is used, principally by folklorists, to refer to the costumed characters that feature in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. They are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, Mummers Plays and the Morris dance in...
visits Dunster and is received at the Castle. A local newspaper printed in May 1863 says "The origin professes to be in commemoration of the wreck of a vessel at Minehead in remote times, or the advent of a sort of phantom ship which entered the harbour without Captain or crew. Once the custom was encouraged, but now is much neglected, and perhaps soon will fall into desuetude." Another conjecture about its origin is that the hobby horse was the ancient King of the May. The Hobby Horse tradition begins with the waking of the inhabitants of Minehead by the beating of a loud drum. The hobby horse dances its way about the town and on to Dunster Castle. The Sailors' horse with drummers and a squeeze box or accordion playing traditional tunes. From Dunster it returns to Minehead, collecting donations on the way and searching out money in the pubs; originally the custom was to sneak into houses, supposedly leaving good luck behind it.
A more recent tradition (started in 1987) is Dunster by Candlelight which takes place every year on the first Friday and Saturday in December when this remarkably preserved medieval village turns its back on the present and lights its streets with candles.
To mark the beginning of the festival on Friday at 5 pm, there is the Lantern Lighting Procession that starts on the Steep and continues through the village until all the lanterns in the streets have been lit. The procession of children and their families is accompanied by colourful stilt walkers in costumes who put up the lanterns.
The old English Christmas tradition of burning the Ashen faggot
Ashen faggot
The ashen faggot is an old English Christmas tradition from Devon and Somerset, similar to that of the Yule log and related to the wassail tradition. The wassail party passes around a bundle of ash sticks, twigs or branches—the ashen faggot—bound with green ash withies, which is then...
takes place at the Luttrell Arms hotel every Christmas Eve.
External links
- Benedictine Priory of Dunster, A History of the County of Somerset: Vol 2 (1911)