Dunster Castle - British flag - Union Jack

A visit to Dunster Castle and Gardens.

Arriving at 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, 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.

Grade I Listed Building

Dunster Castle and Gatehouse

Description

1.
5366 DUNSTER CASTLE HILL

Dunster Castle and gatehouse
SS 9843-9943 4/20 22.5.69

I

2.
Built originally by William de Mohun in the 11th century. Of the Norman castle no
trace remains, the oldest surviving feature is the 13th century Gateway flanked on
either side by a semi-circular tower with a vaulted chamber at ground floor level
lit by arrow loops. Adjoining the gateway is the Gatehouse erected in 1420 by
Sir Hugh Luttrell, the first of the family to live at the Castle. The heraldic
panel over the entrance was set up in the 16th century. Two buttresses were added
to the east wall in 1428. In 1764 the level of the lower ward was raised, submerging
the first two storeys, the upper part was enlarged by the addition of two battle-
mented polygonal turrets on the west side, pierced by arrow loops. The present
castle buildings were thoroughly reconstructed from circa 1617 onwards from designs
probably by William Arnold, refurnished in the 18th century and extensively
enlarged and remodelled in 1869-72 by Anthony Salvin. Red sandstone walling dressed
and coursed on the west wing and porch tower elsewhere random rubble. Window
surrounds in dressed Doulting stone. Mainly three storeys, H-shaped plan of
Jacobean building altered in 19th century to roughly L-shaped. Main elevation to
north-west comprises embattled centre block, single square headed mullioned and
transomed windows either side of porch tower. 4-centred entrance doorway with wood
mould terminated with label stops bearing initials of members of Luttrell family.
Large coat of arms above. West wing with three window front and staircase tower in
return angle. East wing has prominent octagonal staircase tower with conical roof
and arrow loops. Good interior features of 17th and 18th centuries including oak
staircases, ornate plaster ceilings and overmantles, panelling, etc.

Listing NGR: SS9917843472

British flag - Union Jack

Some rights reserved

Taken in: UK / England / West Somerset District / Dunster (show map)

Taken on: August 29, 2021

Tags:

Dunster

Minehead

England

United Kingdom

Great Britain

National Trust

Dunster Castle and Watermill

Dunster Castle and Gardens

Luttrell family

Grade I Listed Building

Grade I Listed

Dunster Castle and Gatehouse

William de Mohun

William Arnold

Anthony Salvin

tree

trees

flag

UK flag

British flag

Union Jack « less

Sets appears in: • Dunster Castle and Gardens

Groups appears in: • Castles of Europe • Flags - from countries all around the World... more » • Castles from the world. • Union Jack • Stately Homes, Palaces and Castles • Bandiere (Flags) • World Flags • CASTLES « less

Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ72, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, 105.4mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ72
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1600)
Focal Length:	105.4mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Ver.1.0
Show full info

Stats: 309 views