After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025.
I have made quite a few visits to Dunster Castle over the years, but this was the first time I had undertaken a guided tour. Though as a member I don’t pay an entrance fee or the car parking charge, I did need to pay the £3 tour cost.
Dunster Castle
An ancient castle and comfortable country home with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens
Current saving £32.80
One adult £18.00
Parking – £6.50
Tour cost – £3.00
Total saving £21.50
Cumulative saving £145.50
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £54.30
Though not too far from Weston-super-Mare, the route along the A39 from Bridgwater is quite twisty and slow. It takes about 80 minutes to do the 40 mile journey.
The previous day had been quite warm and sunny, so I was a little disappointed by the chill in the air. Having parked the car, I walked to the reception to get my membership card scanned. I was a little early for the tour, but didn’t think I would have time to walk around and enjoy the house. So I went for a coffee in the cafe.
Having arrived at the entrance of the house I headed in for the uncovered tour.
We didn’t see many different spaces in the house, though all of the tour was interesting. It was interesting for example to hear that the main bedrooms weren’t available to view as the Trust need to protect the ceiling of the dining room which is below these rooms. As a result these rooms are used as offices and meeting rooms. Another challenge in showing off some rooms is access, and another of the main bedrooms was up a narrow staircase, and it would have been difficult to manage access for visitors up and down the staircase. Same issue with the upstairs servants quarters, which are accessed by a narrow spiral staircase. The servants quarters are in the main used for storage of artefacts now.
Following the upstairs rooms, we were led down the stairs to the basement. We then headed through a corridor to the gatehouse, and saw the rooms which had been used by the manager of the Estate when the land around was farmed.
Overall it was an interesting tour and I am glad I made the effort to get to Dunster to see it, I had missed out on the behind closed doors tour at Stourhead.
After the end of the tour I then went around the house following the “normal” route. It was much the same as I remembered from previous visits. One of the rooms I quite like is the modern kitchen that was installed in 1962. There are some great rooms in the house and I enjoyed exploring the house.
Walked around the grounds and then headed into Dunster Village. Did think about going around the house again but decided to leave that for another day. Also thought about walking to the Watermill but wasn’t sure what would be on the lunch menu in the café. So I headed back to my car and went to Minehead to grab some lunch, but that’s a story for another day.