DUNSTER PARISH

Introduction

Dunster is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, within the north-eastern boundary of Exmoor National Park. It lies on the Bristol Channel 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of Minehead and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Taunton. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 817.There are Iron Age hillforts in the area. Saxon Dunster was a parish in the Hundred of Carhampton. In the Domesday book there are four manors within the parish: Aucome (Alcombe), Avena (Avill), Stantune (Stanton) and Torre. Torre is now the site of the village of Dunster. Torre, including the castle and two watermills, was valued at 15 shillings and Aucome 20 shillings. The village grew up around Dunster Castle which was built at Torre by the Norman warrior William I de Moyon (d. post 1090) shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The castle is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. From that time it was the caput of the Feudal barony of Dunster. The castle was remodelled on several occasions by the Luttrell family who were lords of the manor from the 14th to 20th centuries. The benedictine Dunster Priory was established in about 1100. The Priory Church of St George, dovecote and tithe barn are all relics from the Priory. The village became a centre for wool and cloth production and trade, of which the Yarn Market, built by George Luttrell (d.1629), is a relic. There existed formerly a harbour, known as Dunster Haven, at the mouth of the River Avill, but today, the coast having receded, it is now about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the village and no sign of the harbour can be seen on the low lying marshes between the village and the coast. Dunster has a range of heritage sites and cultural attractions which combine with the castle to make it a popular tourist destination with many visitors arriving on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway running from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard. The village lies on the route of the Macmillan Way West, Somerset Way and Celtic Way.

Wikipedia page

Do you live in Dunster?

Register as a resident of Dunster Parish. Stay connected with your local Parish and be the first to be notified of new data updates or new planning applications submitted in Dunster Parish.

Parish Information

Parish statistics

Area	1,017 hectares
Population	863 ⁽²⁰²¹⁾
Density	85 people/km²
Mean age	51.0
Ward	Old Cleeve & District
District	West Somerset
Postcodes	TA24
ONS ID	E04008835