Conygar wood and Conygar Tower are prominent features of the landscape around Dunster, and are an important part of its history too.
The wood is named Conygar from ‘coney’ (rabbit) and garth (garden), and was formerly a medieval rabbit warren. The tower was commissioned by Henry Fownes Luttrell of Dunster Castle in 1775, and it was designed to be a folly and be an interesting feature to behold, rather than of military or strategic importance.
At this time an artificial ‘ruined’ gatehouse and a statue of Neptune were also constructed in Conygar Wood, and though the statue is lost, you can still find the arches of the gatehouse to the west of the tower. The Dunster Water Mill and Deer Park were also created by the Luttrells at the same time, which shows what an influence they had on designing the landscape we appreciate today.
Conygar is a great place to go for a short walk from the Village. Whether you wish to follow the original circular walk that winds its way up to the tower, or take the shorter, but steeper, route straight up Conygar Walk
Conygar is a great place to go for a short walk from Dunster. See here for details of walks in Conygar Wood.