History of Dunster

It fell to the Parliamentarians in 1645 and orders were sent out for the castle to be demolished. However, these were not carried out, and the castle remained the garrison for Parliamentarian troops until 1650.

Dunster is regularly home to Taunton Garrison who re-enact plays, battles, and life in the civil war.

Dunster was the birthplace of the song All Things Bright and Beautiful when Cecil Alexander was staying with Mary Martin. The nearby hill, Grabbist, was originally heather-covered before tree plantation and was described as the "Purple headed mountain". Mary Martin was daughter of one of the owners of Martins Bank.

During the Second World War, considerable defences were built along the coast as a part of British anti-invasion preparations, though the north coast of Somerset was an unlikely invasion site. Some of the structures remain to this day. Most notable are the pillboxes on the foreshore of Dunster Beach. These are strong buildings made from pebbles taken from the beach and bonded together with concrete. From these, soldiers could have held their ground if the Germans ever invaded