History
The long history of Dunster Castle
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First settlements
First settlements
The site has been occupied for over a 1,000 years. The first written sources note a hill fort owned by Saxon Thegn Aelfric. Aelfric fought and lost his life, alongside King Harold at the battle of Hastings.
William de Mohun was granted the lands at Dunster for his service to William the Conqueror at this battle.
© Stephan Biesty
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Increasing fortifications
Increasing fortifications
William de Mohun II built stone fortifications early in the 12th century to strengthen the earthworks constructed by his father.
The oldest surviving part of the castle is the Reynold de Mohun II early 13th-century gateway, which was the entrance to the lower ward.
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Castle sold to clear de Mohun debts
Castle sold to clear de Mohun debts
Due to mounting debts, John de Mohun's wife negotiated the sale of the castle to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell in 1376, for 5,000 marks.
Lady de Mohun was allowed to live at the castle until her death. As she was predeceased by Elizabeth it was Hugh who was the first Luttrell to live at the castle.
© Stephan Biesty
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George Luttrell: The builder
George Luttrell: The builder
Geroge inherited dilapidated buildings in 1571 and hired William Arnold to transform them into a tranditional Jacobean Manor.
Arnold was accused of slipshod work and letting the cost of buillding rise from £462 to over £1,200.
The plasterwork ceiling of the inner hall is an Arnold orginal.
© Stephan Biesty
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English Civil War: 1642-1650
English Civil War: 1642-1650
Thomas Luttrell was unsympathetic to the Royalist cause and his wife Jane was the first to open fire on the Royalists from the castle.
When the Royalists took Taunton, Thomas surrended the castle. However, the country fell to Parliment and the castle was besieged for 160 days before honourably surrendering.
© Nick White
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Rubble and restoration
Rubble and restoration
In 1650 Cromwell ordered that the still defensible castle be destroyed. In 12 days, 200 men reduced the curtain walls to rubble but the mansion and two gateways were saved.
In 1680 Francis and Mary Luttrell, an extravagant couple, came to Dunster, adding the fashionable dining room ceiling and staircase panels.
© Dave Wood
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Pleasure and prosperity: 1700-1800
Pleasure and prosperity: 1700-1800
Dorothy Luttrell managed the estate after the death of her husband, levelling the keep and adding a bowling green complete with summerhouse.
She also commissioned a private chapel and new carriage drive. This was later lengthened by her grandson, who also added pleasure grounds and a deer park to the estate.
© National Trust
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Big builds, small budget: 1868-1890
Big builds, small budget: 1868-1890
George Fownes Luttrell employed Anthony Salvin to renovate the castle in 1868. Salvin tailored his scheme to fit George's £20,000 budget.
He built the dining and drawing room towers and made the castle into a comfortable country home fit for a Victorian gentleman and his family.
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The 20th century
The 20th century
Alexander Luttrell left the castle empty as he prefered to live at East Quantoxhead.
In 1920 Geoffry and family moved in and brought the castle back to life. He and his wife Alys held many charity balls, concerts, dinners and shooting parties. Polo was having its hey-day with famous faces playing at Dunster.
© National Trust
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Gifted to the National Trust
Gifted to the National Trust
When Alexander Luttrell died in 1944 he left the estate in debt. This meant that Geoffry, Alexander's son, had to sell the castle in 1949 but managed to reacquire it in 1954.
Walter, Geoffry's son, gave the castle and many of its contents to us in 1976.
© Seamus Rodgers
First settlements
Increasing fortifications
Castle sold to clear de Mohun debts
George Luttrell: The builder
English Civil War: 1642-1650
Rubble and restoration
Pleasure and prosperity: 1700-1800
Big builds, small budget: 1868-1890
The 20th century
Gifted to the National TrustA medieval Christmas
Sir Hugh Luttrell celebrated his first Christmas at Dunster in 1405.
He bought six fur-lined gowns for his wife and daughters. The family ate venison and drank wine from Taunton.
Shopping Stuart-style
The Luttrells shop for clothes in Covent Garden, 1641:
- A pair of scarlett silk stockings with gold: £1 15s
- Buckles to the britches: 3s 6d
- A set of rich gold buttons: £2 14s 6d
The Victorian household
In 1881 the living-in staff consisted of a butler, a housekeeper, two footmen, a groom, a hall boy, two ladies' maids, a housemaid and six other female servants.
Did you know?
- Twenty-one generations of Luttrells and their descendents lived here
- The Luttrell family owned the castle for 600 years
- A wide selection of old photographs are now on display in the crypt
- Charles the second spent a night here when he was the Prince of Wales
- Dunster was besieged by parliamentary forces in 1645
- Dunster had the first plumbed in bath in Somerset
- The Luttrell family were staunch royalists
Norman origins
William de Mohun I built Dunster's original Normal fortress on two levels. The Upper Ward was on the Tor and the Lower Ward was below what's now the Green Court.
Civil War changes
George Luttrell commissioned a new Jacobean house in 1617. Captured by Oliver Cromwell's forces in 1646, the castle's medieval walls were largely destroyed on his orders.
Victorian rebuild
George Fownes Luttrell commissioned the great Victorian architect, Anthony Salvin, to remodel Dunster. He added a billiard room, library, conservatory and servants’ quarters.
Dunster's hidden history photo album
View Dunster Castles family photos
© Abbie Thorne
Want to see the hidden history of Dunster? The people who have lived here and how the place has changed over time?
Paintings at Dunster Castle
Many fascinating portraits hang on the walls of Dunster Castle. Some of the earliest date from the late 1500s and the latest from the early 1900s. If you want to discover more visit BBC Paintings.