Name: Dunster Castle
Rating: 2

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Dunster

Dunster Castle

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Places to see

Castles

United Kingdom

England

South West England

Somerset

West Somerset District

Dunster

Dunster Castle

Recommended by 19 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Exmoor National Park

Access to this Highlight may be restricted or limited.

Check ahead to confirm restricted segments are open to the public.

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Location: Dunster, West Somerset District, Somerset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to Dunster Castle

4.8

(13)

hikers

1. Dunster Castle, Bat's Castle & Gallox Bridge loop from Dunster — Exmoor National Park

6.64km

01:59

210m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(1)

hikers

2. Minehead, Dunster and Wootton Courtenay loop — Exmoor National Park

23.7km

06:50

590m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Expert

5.0

(8)

hikers

3. Dunster Village – Dunster Watermill loop from Dunster

7.46km

02:11

210m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Kit P

April 29, 2022

There's been a castle here since the 11th century and the stone you see today was built in the 12th century. It's undergone expansions, sieges and modernisations across the centuries, making it fascinating to explore. It's managed by the National Trust so you can visit it for a fee or, if you're a member, for free.

Christine🔹

October 5, 2023

Admission for non-NT members is currently £16 a pop, but it's worth it!

Since we were almost the only visitors today (Thursday afternoon in October), we were given a private tour and now we know EVERYTHING😂

I found it interesting that the Luttrell family still visits regularly and always likes to tell anecdotes about life “back in the castle”.

We also really liked the fitted kitchen from 1962, a sensation at the time, as it was hoped that this would save staff - "it cooks itself"

Translated by Google •

Brian

March 24, 2017

Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset. 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, William de Mohun constructed a timber castle on the site as part of the pacification of Somerset. A stone shell keep was built on the motte by the start of the 12th century and the castle survived a siege during the early years of the Anarchy.

At the end of the 14th century the de Mohuns sold the castle to the Luttrell family, who continued to occupy the property until the late 20th century. The castle was expanded several times by the Luttrell family during the 17th and 18th centuries; they built a large manor house within the Lower Ward of the castle in 1617 and this was extensively modernised, first during the 1680s and then during the 1760s.

The medieval castle walls were mostly destroyed following the siege of Dunster Castle at the end of the English Civil War, when Parliament ordered the defences to be slighted to prevent their further use. In the 1860s and 1870s, the architect Anthony Salvin was employed to remodel the castle to fit Victorian tastes; this work extensively changed the appearance of Dunster to make it appear more Gothic and Picturesque.

Following the death of Alexander Luttrell in 1944, the family was unable to afford the death duties on his estate. The castle and surrounding lands were sold off to a property firm, the family continuing to live in the castle as tenants.

The Luttrells bought back the castle in 1954, but in 1976 Colonel Walter Luttrell gave Dunster Castle and most of its contents to the National Trust, which operates it as a tourist attraction. It is a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument.

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Elevation 130 m

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Location: Dunster, West Somerset District, Somerset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

Dunster Castle

1. Dunster Castle, Bat's Castle & Gallox Bridge loop from Dunster — Exmoor National Park

2. Minehead, Dunster and Wootton Courtenay loop — Exmoor National Park

3. Dunster Village – Dunster Watermill loop from Dunster

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