Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle is a hilltop castle and country house in Dunster, Somerset, England, with origins in the Norman period and later country-house development. It is managed as a historic property by the National Trust.

The site combines a medieval keep and gatehouse with repurposed domestic rooms from later centuries and extensive terraced gardens. The hilltop position provides framed views across the village of Dunster towards the surrounding moorland and coast.

A fortification was established on the site after the Norman Conquest and the castle evolved over the medieval and post-medieval periods under successive owners, becoming a landscaped country house in later centuries. The National Trust took on stewardship of the property in the 20th century and it is presented as a historic house and garden.

Dunster Castle sits above the village of Dunster in west Somerset, within reach of the Exmoor and Bristol Channel landscapes and near the coastal town of Minehead.

• Management: Managed by the National Trust, the property combines a historic castle keep with later country-house interiors and seasonally maintained gardens.

What to See #

• Keep: A medieval stone keep and motte dating to the castle's early history sit at the core of the site and are the most visible surviving fortifications.
• Terraced gardens: Terraced gardens and landscaped grounds developed in later centuries offer formal planting and views from the hilltop location across the surrounding countryside.