Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle is one of Somerset's most dramatically situated historic properties — a hilltop fortress rising above the medieval village of Dunster on the western edge of Exmoor, with spectacular views across the Bristol Channel to the Welsh coast. The castle has Norman origins, established as a motte-and-bailey fortification shortly after the Conquest, but its present appearance reflects over five centuries of continuous occupation and remodelling by the Luttrell family, who owned Dunster from 1376 until gifting it to the National Trust in 1976.

The castle was extensively rebuilt in the 17th century as a comfortable country house, losing its purely military character in favour of domestic grandeur. The interiors created during this period are outstanding — particularly the magnificent carved oak staircase with its spiral of extraordinary balusters, each carved with a hunting scene. The great hall retains its late 17th-century proportions and decoration, and the state rooms contain fine portraits of the Luttrell family spanning three centuries, together with 17th-century plasterwork ceilings and Dutch leather wall-hangings.

The terraced gardens climbing the hillside below the castle are noted for their tender plants — the south-facing slopes, warmed by the Bristol Channel's moderating influence, allow species to thrive outdoors that could not survive a typical English winter. Most remarkable is an ancient lemon tree in the restored terrace garden, claimed to be the oldest lemon tree in Britain, thought to have been growing here since the 17th century.

Below the castle, the medieval village of Dunster is perfectly preserved, with an octagonal market cross, a working watermill and the priory church of St George completing one of the most complete and atmospheric medieval townscapes in Somerset. The combination of castle, village, church and Exmoor landscape makes Dunster one of the most rewarding heritage destinations in the south-west.