Castles of the British Isles

The advance of the West Saxons into the British kingdom of Dumnonia saw them gain control of the majority of the Somerset region following the Battle of Peonna in AD 658 (see 'related links', below, for more).

They established West Somerset as one of their advance bases of operations. The Dunster Village history website links the name 'Dunster' to a Saxon commander named Dun or Dunna. The word 'dun' though means 'fort', with Old Welsh 'dinas' as a cognate for the Scots and Irish Gaelic 'dun', while '-ster' is a mutation of 'tor', the hill on which sits the fort. This makes it much more likely that 'dunes-torre' was simply the 'fort on the hill'.

This would not be a unique instance. The Saxons adopted other local Brythonic names into early English, such as 'Brendon Hills', from the Brythonic word for hill, 'brendo' (amusingly making them the 'hill hills'). The same misunderstanding produced 'River Avon' from the Brythonic word for river, 'afon', creating the 'river river'.

The site of that early fort was overseen by the last Saxon pre-Conquest nobleman for the area, Aelfric (or Aluric). Its hilltop location offered an ideal defensive position whilst also dominating the surrounding landscape. Those advantages ensured that the castle in its present form survived into the modern age.

Following the successful Norman takeover of southern England in 1066, William de Mohun (Moion) le Viel ('the elder') was granted fifty-five West Country manors, including Dunster. After becoming sheriff of Somerset in 1086, de Mohun built a motte-and-bailey timber castle on the site of the former Anglo-Saxon burgh.

The Normans scarped the summit of the tor to create the motte, also known as the 'Upper Ward', and reshaped the lower ground beneath it to form the bailey, or 'Lower Ward'.

During this period, the castle served as the caput (administrative centre) of the Norman establishment in the region and as a defensive stronghold which protected Somerset from raiders who would approach along the coastal road or come in by sea. William's son was also named William. In the early twelfth century he constructed the stone fortifications which surround the upper part of the motte.

During the medieval civil war which is known as 'The Anarchy', Dunster Castle was one of the most important Norman strongholds in the south-west, and its military contingent supported Empress Matilda.

Thanks to its strategic position which controlled the Bristol Channel coast and routes into Exmoor, King Stephen's forces targeted it early in the conflict. His troops built a temporary siege castle in the village of Dunster in 1138.

This was a common medieval tactic which allowed attackers to blockade a fortress and control the surrounding area. The castle was taken, but Stephen's advantage was short-lived. The war shifted in Matilda's favour in parts of the West Country and her forces recaptured Dunster.

The castle was fortified in the thirteenth century by William's great-grandson, Reginald de Mohun. He replaced many earlier timber defences with stone buildings in the lower ward, including two defensive towers, a fortified gatehouse which controlled entry into the castle, and a granary for storing supplies during sieges.

The upper ward remained the administrative and residential heart of the fortress. It contained the Chapel of St Stephen (see Churches of Dunster via the links below), a great hall, kitchens, pantry, and a bakehouse, along with accommodation for knights and retainers.

Following the death of John de Mohun in 1376 (the last male heir of the de Mohun family at Dunster), the family's long association with Dunster Castle now came to an end. His childless widow, Joan Burghersh, decided to sell the castle and its estates.

Elizabeth Luttrell purchased it for five thousand marks, allowing Joan to retain possession of the castle for the rest of her life, with ownership transferring to the Luttrell family upon her death.

Sir Hugh formally took possession of Dunster Castle in 1404, having succeeded Elizabeth and now beginning the Luttrell family's remarkable six hundred-year association with the castle, which ended in 1976.

The Luttrell family began to repair and expand the castle, gradually transforming it from a military stronghold into a country home for the family. Major works which were carried out between 1419-1424 included the construction of the 'Great Gatehouse', a defensive barbican, and a new entrance which was built using imported Bristol red stone, while the roofs were covered with Cornish stone tiles.

The Luttrell family supported the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. Sir James Luttrell died fighting for the Lancastrian cause at the Second Battle of St Albans. After inheriting the castle in 1571, George Luttrell began transforming the medieval fortress into a more comfortable country residence.

He employed the master mason and architect William Arnold in 1617. Under Arnold's direction, parts of the castle were remodelled in the Jacobean style, introducing more domestic architecture with square towers, larger windows, and decorative plaster ceilings, thereby reflecting the shift from fortress to country house.

During the English Civil War between supporters of Charles I and parliament, Thomas Luttrell initially supported the Parliamentarian cause. Expecting a Royalist attack, the castle was strengthened in preparation for a siege. Under Thomas' wife, Jane Luttrell, an attack by Royalist forces was successfully resisted but the castle was forced to surrender in 1643.

It returned to Parliamentarian hands in 1645. George Luttrell was successfully able to persuade the authorities to limit the castle's post-civil war destruction. As a result, much of the outer medieval defences were dismantled but the residential parts survived.

After marrying in 1680 the wealthy Dorset heiress, Mary Tregonwell, Francis Luttrell began a programme of modernisation. Later heiress Margaret Luttrell married Henry Fownes Luttrell, who adopted the Luttrell surname. The couple moved into the castle in 1747, and further improvements were undertaken.

John Fownes Luttrell opened up the castle to visitors in 1816. George Fownes Luttrell inherited the estate in 1867 and began the most extensive modernisation project of the Victorian era, employing the well-known architect, Anthony Salvin.

Salvin's renovations introduced many significant additions, including a large underground reservoir, a modern conservatory, a gas plant for lighting and heating, Victorian-style windows, and a large gathering hall. The interior was also remodelled to form new spaces such as the 'Outer Hall', a billiard room, a drawing room, a library, and a gallery on the first floor.

Walter Luttrell was the final member of the Luttrell family to own the castle. Choosing to live elsewhere, and following the death of his mother, he decided in 1976 to pass on the property to the National Trust.

Photos on this page kindly contributed by Mal Jones, Alison Day, and Celia Mulhearn via the 'History Files: Castles of the British Isles' Flickr group, and three photos copyright © Ian Capper (two) and Richard Croft via Geograph, reused under a cc licence.