Dunster and the Dunster Estate have a long and turbulent history, and the village and landscape that you see today are a product of a fascinating story, a brief outline of which is detailed below.
Prehistoric settlement at Dunster
Before 350 B.C. the hilltops around Dunster would have been inhabited by people living in small, undefended farmsteads, growing crops and tending to their livestock. After this time, during the Iron age, it became necessary for these inhabitants to move into defendable enclosures as attacking invaders from north and west France carried out raids. The hillfort on Gallox Hill was established for this purpose, and latterly the more complex fortification at Bats Castle nearby provided the necessary protection as the raids intensified.
Bronze and Iron Age artefacts have been found as evidence of this settlement, and Roman coins found nearby show continued settlement in the area at this time too.
Dunster in the Dark Ages
Settlement continued in the Dunster area through to the Dark Ages, with Saxon settlement in and around 700AD. At the time that the Domesday book was written, the town was known as ‘Torre’, but its present name is likely to come from the Saxon Thane, Dunna, giving ‘Dunna’s-Torre’ or Dunster.
Dunster in Medieval times
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the land around Dunster was given to William de Mohun of Normandy by William the Conqueror, along with 68 other manors. William de Mohun chose Dunster to be the administrative centre for his estates, and built Dunster Castle soon after settling here.
By 1222 markets were being held in Dunster, and there is evidence that the town was growing as a centre of commerce and trade, with fishing, shipbuilding, milling, and a burgeoning wool trade in operation. In 1376 the Luttrell family acquired the Dunster Estate, and they proved to be one of the most prominent and influential families in the history of the town.
The Luttrell Family
Over the following 600 years the Luttrell family shaped much of the landscape we see today. Some of the iconic Dunster landmarks that the Luttrells were responsible for include:
The Yarn Market - built on in the High Street around 1600 to support Dunster’s then thriving wool industry. The Yarn Market had to be rebuilt in 1647 due to damage caused by canon shot during the Civil War (a canon ball hole can still be seen in one of the beams).
Dunster Mill - A water mill powered by the River Aville was developed by Henry Fownes-Luttrell in the 1770s, primarily for milling corn into flour, but also with the picturesque designed landscape in mind.
Pottery Kiln - Constructed in 1750, this was a well known and successful earthenware and brick works right up until 1919.
Dunster Deer Park - Created in 1775, the Deer Park formed part of the designed landscape that the Luttrell family devised to enhance the appearance, and their enjoyment, of the Castle and its grounds. It was also created to keep a steady supply of venison for the castle.
Conygar Tower - One of many romanticised features, inspired by great landscape paintings at the time, that the Luttrell family installed into the landscape around Dunster. This was the only one of nine other planned follies that was built.
The Luttrell family also had Dunster Castle remodelled in the 19th century by the architect Antony Salvin, into its current form. Salvin restored the castle back to a true castle again, after it was significantly damaged in the Civil War. As well as castellated towers, he also brought the Castle into the modern age with the installation of central heating and more modern kitchens.
Dunster and the Dunster Estate in modern times
The layout of Dunster remains much the same as it was in medieval times, making it a textbook example of a town from this period. The combination of the old world charm and traditional shops and businesses make the Dunster of today a popular visitor destination, and gateway to Exmoor.
Dunster Castle has been managed by the National Trust on behalf of the nation since 1976, and also attracts thousands of visitors to the area each year. See here for more details.
The lands belonging to the castle were largely sold to The Crown Estate in 1950, and now we are responsible for 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of this beautiful countryside. Just under two thirds of the Dunster Estate is comprised of prime agricultural land, which is managed by around 40 tenant farms. .jpg)
Forests, woodlands and heaths cover the rest of the Dunster Estate. These areas are managed for a variety of purposes including commercial timber production, conservation, adaptation to climate change and recreation. To find out more about the way we manage these areas, see our Dunster Forestry and Wildlife sections.
For more information on the history of Dunster see one of our our local information links in the menu at the top of every page.