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Dunster Castle and Watermill
An ancient castle and comfortable country home with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens
Dunster Castle, Dunster, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6NY
Important notice
Due to high winds are closed today (Sunday 22 December) and the Christmas extended opening is cancelled. We hope to reopen tomorrow following a safety inspection. Please check back here for updates before you travel.
Opening times for 22 December 2024
Asset Opening time Castle 10:00 - 18:00 Entrance point 10:00 - 18:00 Garden 10:00 - 19:00 Parkland 10:00 - 19:00 Castle refreshments 10:00 - 15:00 Shop 10:00 - 19:00 Watermill 10:00 - 15:00 Watermill tea-room 10:00 - 16:00 MTWTFSS2526272829301234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303112345OpenPartially openClosedAdmission (from 25 March)
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £18.70 £17.00 Child £9.35 £8.50 Family £46.75 £42.50 1 adult, up to 3 children £28.05 £25.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Bookshop
Dogs allowed
Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the castle.
Café
Shop
Car park
Tea-room
Cycle parking
Cycle parking is located behind Visitor Reception.
Toilet
Steep routes with steps and uneven surfaces. Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilets by shop. Mobility scooters for hire.
Accessible route and/or map
Powered mobility vehicle available
Accessible toilet
Ramped access/slopes
Designated parking
A limited number of blue badge spaces
Stairclimber
Drop-off point
A space available should blue badge spaces be unavailable
Steps/uneven terrain
Induction loop
Wheelchairs available
By road
Enter from A39 onto the parkland driveway. Car park is 300 yards from the main road.
Parking: £6.50 all day, members free (please scan your card), motor home £13 (space dependent). Paybyphone facility for those without coins- location code 806775. Car park gates locked at 6pm daily. Our car park is small and parking spaces are limited. In poor weather we may suggest parking in the Dunster Steep village car park. Please check our website before travelling. We cannot guarantee parking for motorhomes. Strictly no caravans or trailers.
Sat Nav: 3 miles south-east of Minehead, off A39. Please use "Directions via Google Maps" at the top of this page or use postcode TA24 6NY and follow the brown signs onto the parkland driveway from the A39. There is no vehicular access from the village via Castle Hill.
By train
The closest train station is Dunster Station (West Somerset Railway) 1 mile (about a 25 minute walk to the entrance).
As a thank you for arriving car-free, enjoy a free hot drink in our cafés when you show a member of our Welcome Team a bus or train ticket with the day’s date on it, or a bike helmet.
Plan your car-free visit to us with Good JourneyBy bus
Travel to Dunster by bus for just £2 each way
28/X28/28A - Taunton - Minehead - bus service operated by Buses of Somerset, alight Dunster Steep, ½ mile.
Exmoor Coaster West-bound: Doniford- Watchet- Dunster- Minhead- Porlock- Lynmouth. East-bound: Lynmouth- Porlock- Minehead- Dunster- Watchet- Doniford.
198 - Dulverton - Minehead- bus service operated by Atwest , alight Dunster High Street Newagents (S-bound) or Dunster The Foresters Inn (W-bound).
678 - Dulverton - Minehead - bus service operated by Exmoor Community Bus Association, alight Dunster High Street Newagents (S-bound) or Dunster The Foresters Inn (W-bound).
As a thank you for arriving car-free, enjoy a free hot drink in one of our cafés when you show a member of our Welcome Team a bus or train ticket with the day’s date on it, or a bike helmet.
Plan your car-free visit to us with Good JourneyBy bicycle
Cycle lane from Minehead to Dunster along A39. Cycle parking is available behind Visitor Reception.
As a thank you for arriving car-free, enjoy a free hot drink in one of our cafés when you show a member of our Welcome Team a bus or train ticket with the day’s date on it, or a bike helmet.
Plan your route to Dunster Castle and Watermill using the CycleStreets journey planner via the bicycle link below (This journey planner uses OpenStreetMap data which is generally excellent but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you come to a footpath or other cycle-prohibited track, please don't ride on it.)Car-free
We hold the Good Journey Mark for welcoming car-free visitors. Travel a greener way and enjoy a free hot drink when you travel by bus, train or bicycle to us. Plan your journey by train, bus, bike or foot with Good Journey
Planning your visit
Article
Christmas at Dunster
Explore the seasonally decorated rooms at Dunster Castle this Christmas, stock up on gifts for your loved ones from the Stables Shop and take in the winter views from the garden. The castle and gardens are open 10am-4pm at weekends throughout December and daily 16 December-5 January. The Stables Shop, Watermill Tearoom, parkland and car park open daily.
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Visiting Dunster Castle and Watermill with your dog
Dunster Castle is a two pawprint rated place. From wide open parkland to formal gardens, your dog walk needn’t be boring during your visit to Dunster Castle and Watermill.
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School visits to Dunster Castle
Discover everything you need to know about bringing your school for a visit to Dunster Castle and Watermill.
PDF
PDF
Dunster Castle and Watermill map
Take a look at the map of Dunster Castle and Watermill to help plan your visit.
Highlights
Castle
Ancient castle that became a lavish country home during the 19th century.
Watermill
Working Victorian watermill, with three floors of traditional machinery and milling days.
Garden
Terraced garden home to Mediterranean and subtropical plants, with a riverside wooded garden and bowling green.
Parkland
Grade II* listed parkland with river, which is home to otters, kingfishers and salmon.
Reservoir
Unusual Victorian reservoir built to supply water to the castle and gardens.
Play area
Natural play area created from a giant redwood, with a wooden xylophone.
Eating
Watermill Tearoom and Tenants' Hall pop-up café.
Shopping
Shop in the 17th-century stables, with original gifts and local products. Second-hand bookshop, Gatehouse Books.
Things to see and do
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Things to see and do at Dunster Castle and Watermill
Explore 1,000 years of history at Dunster castle, from its collection of painted leather hangings – the only one of its kind in the UK – to its historic working watermill.
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Visiting the garden at Dunster Castle and Watermill
Explore the highlights of the garden at Dunster Castle, which takes you around the world and through four different microclimates
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Family Fun at Dunster Castle and Watermill
Looking for a fun family day out this autumn? Whether you're after
Spotlight events
12 Days of Christmas Trail
Blow off the cobwebs and join us for the free 12 days of Christmas trail around the house and garden.
Dunster Castle Experience Days: a day with the Collections and House Manager
An exclusive chance to spend the day with Dunster Castle's Collections and House Manager, including a bespoke tour, hands-on conservation, and a two-course lunch.
Top trails
Trail
Conygar Tower from Dunster Castle walk
Enjoy a circular wander through tranquil woodland and discover an impressive folly built by Henry Luttrell to enhance the view from Dunster Castle.
Trail
Grabbist Hill from Dunster Castle walk
Enjoy this scenic walk to Grabbist Hill from Dunster Castle, which passes through ancient woodland and offers panoramic views over the surrounding area.
Trail
Bats Castle from Dunster Castle Walk
This longer walk up to Bats Castle, a well-preserved Iron Age hillfort, offers memorable views over the Bristol Channel and across Exmoor as a reward.
Trail
Dunster Castle and Village circular walk
Enjoy the impressive architecture and houses in the medieval village of Dunster on this walk, which also takes in memorable views of Dunster Castle.
Eating and shopping
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Eating and shopping at Dunster Castle and Watermill
There are several places to enjoy a bite to eat and a drink during your visit to Dunster Castle and Watermill. Find out more about what each outlet has to offer.
Places to stay
Dunster Keeper's House
Between the foothills of Exmoor National Park and the Somerset coast, this ancient but newly-renovated cottage, overlooking Dunster Castle, has bags of charm.
Old Gateway Cottage
Explore Exmoor National Park from this cosy farmhouse cottage on Holnicote Estate
Selworthy Farmhouse
A handsome, detached farmhouse near the Somerset coast, surrounded by the rolling green hills of Exmoor where sheep and cattle roam.
Ivy's Cottage
A snug one-bedroom English country cottage in the village of Selworthy with views over Exmoor.
Holnicote Lower House
A part-thatched cottage with its own private stream minutes away from Bossington beach.
Dunkery View
On the fringes of Exmoor, this quirky cob and thatch cottage is the perfect base for hiking the moors.
Upcoming events
Event
Christmas evenings at Dunster Castle
Enjoy an illuminated route up to the castle and discover the castle dressed for a country Christmas.
Event
A Country Christmas at Dunster Castle
We have something for everyone this Christmas inside the castle and in the gardens. Soak up the festive atmosphere and make Dunster Castle a part of your Christmas traditions.
Event
Victorian Kitchen Tours
Go behind the scenes and into the past with one of the knowledgeable volunteer guides.
Event
12 days of Christmas trail
Blow off the cobwebs and join us for the 12 days of Christmas trail around the house and garden.
Event
Behind the scenes: Attic Tours
If you've always wanted to see more of Dunster Castle, come on an attic tour with one of the castle's knowledgeable tour guides.
Event
Dunster Experience Days - A Day with the Collections and House Manager
An exclusive chance to spend the day with Dunster Castle's Collections and House Manager, including a bespoke tour, hands-on conservation, and a two-course lunch.
Event
Apple Grafting Workshop
Join us for an apple grafting workshop and learn, practice and take home your very own grafted apple tree.
About Dunster Castle and Watermill
Dramatically sited on a wooded hill, a castle has existed here since at least Norman times, with an impressive medieval gatehouse and ruined tower giving a reminder of its turbulent history. The castle that you see today became a lavish country home during the 19th century for the Luttrell family, who lived here for 600 years.
The terraced garden displays varieties of Mediterranean and subtropical plants, while the tranquil riverside wooded garden below, with its natural play area, leads to the historic working watermill. There are panoramic views over the Bristol Channel and surrounding countryside from the castle and grounds.
History
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History of Dunster Castle
Discover a thousand years of history at Dunster Castle. Follow its journey from a Middle Ages fortress to a Victorian family home.
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History of the garden at Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle’s garden has developed and grown over many centuries. Find out more about those who helped shape it into the garden we see today.
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History of the working watermill at Dunster Castle
Explore the history of the working watermill at Dunster and follow the historical milling process. Buy our organic wholemeal flour, available at the watermill and the stables shop.
Support us
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Volunteer opportunities at Dunster Castle
Find out more about volunteering at Dunster Castle and Watermill and how you can join the team and play your part in looking after this special place.