Dunster Castle And Gatehouse

Dunster Castle and gatehouse were originally built by William de Mohun in the 11th century, but no traces of the original Norman castle remain. The oldest surviving feature is the 13th century Gateway, which is flanked on either side by a semi-circular tower that has a vaulted chamber at ground floor level, lit by arrow loops. Next to the gateway is the Gatehouse, constructed in 1420 by Sir Hugh Luttrell, the first of his family to reside at the Castle. A heraldic panel above the entrance was added in the 16th century, and two buttresses were added to the east wall in 1428.

In 1764, the level of the lower ward was raised, which submerged the first two storeys. The upper part of the castle was enlarged with the addition of two battlemented polygonal turrets on the west side, which are pierced by arrow loops. The current castle buildings were extensively reconstructed starting around 1617, likely based on designs by William Arnold. They were refurnished in the 18th century and further enlarged and remodelled between 1869 and 1872 by Anthony Salvin.

The castle features red sandstone walling that is dressed and coursed on the west wing and porch tower, while other areas use random rubble. The window surrounds are made of dressed Doulting stone. The building is mainly three storeys tall and has an H-shaped plan that was altered in the 19th century to a roughly L-shaped layout. The main elevation faces northwest and includes an embattled centre block with single square-headed mullioned and transomed windows on either side of the porch tower. There is a 4-centred entrance doorway with wood moulding that has label stops bearing the initials of members of the Luttrell family, along with a large coat of arms above. The west wing features a three-window front and a staircase tower in the return angle, while the east wing has a prominent octagonal staircase tower topped with a conical roof and arrow loops. Inside, there are notable features from the 17th and 18th centuries, including oak staircases, ornate plaster ceilings, overmantles, and panelling.