Dunster Museum & Doll Collection

Dunster Museum & Doll Collection Open Easter - October. Since 1921 Dunster Memorial Hall has been at the centre of village life. Our Aim is to achieve this by providing

1.

Superb local museum documenting 10,000 years of the village's history, and also a unique collection of dolls - the largest outside of the V&A.The building also has a Victorian Snooker Room and community meeting facilities. Given to the village by Alexander Luttrell for meetings, activities, parties, & events in remembrance of those from the village who served and those who lost their lives in the

First World War. It was the prime meeting place for villagers and it has served the community well for many years. Now our village Memorial Hall is ready for the next period of its life. We aim, with your help, to create a community facility for the 21st Century that will be a worthy addition to the village for the enjoyment of villagers and visitors alike whilst keeping the building true to itself. A Village Museum
A History of Dunster and its Villagers with audio/visual records, documentation, artifacts, and archaeology in the Hall, and ‘Hands on’ and ‘Explore’ area on the stage. The latter will be linked to the National Curriculum and designed by our school, for children to see how the people lived in the village in days gone by. Our first major display in 2014 will be ‘2000 years of Strife in Dunster’ to remember the centenary of the start of the First World War in July 1914. The Museum in the Hall will be designed with movable display units that allow the space to be used for villager meetings/ talks/ parties/ films shows/ coffee mornings/ presentations and the like.

2. An Information Room and kitchen, and start point for village history tours ,etc.

3. New Multi-use Toilet that will be disabled & baby change friendly.

4. As many Dolls on display as possible on a new mezzanine floor above the Main Hall

5. A village room for meetings in comfort, with seating for up to 18 people for use as a study base for children, for small presentations or intimate parties and gatherings.

6. A Lounge with sofas and WiFi Hotspot, refreshments and a local library. A quiet environment to relax in. A place for children to draw, write, study, or read, and for visitors to while away an hour or two on rainy days.

7. Free Internet for Villagers with computers provided and help if needed.

8. A ‘Victorian’ Snooker Room for that special evening or club meeting.

An amazing piece about when Time Team came to 'town' and we celebrated the publication of the final report at the Museum...
01/02/2026

An amazing piece about when Time Team came to 'town' and we celebrated the publication of the final report at the Museum.

This film is about the Dunster Interim Archaeological Report that was launched in January, 2019. The report is 76 pages long and is a very good read.

17/08/2025
COME AND JOIN US this Sunday, 17th August, in the Village Gardens/Tithe Barn for VE DAY/VJ DAY Village Celebration.Bring...
12/08/2025

COME AND JOIN US this Sunday, 17th August, in the Village Gardens/Tithe Barn for VE DAY/VJ DAY Village Celebration.

Bring a picnic lunch & chairs or picnic rug to enjoy with family & friends (some seating available. Refreshments and cream teas available.

Live music from Tamsin (the Devon Forces Sweetheart), Café Esprit, and Minnie Hates the Hoover

Lawn Games/Themed Quiz/World War II Displays

EVERYONE IS WELCOME – WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE

DUNSTER TO FEATURE IN NEXT EPISODE OF ‘THE REPAIR SHOP’ Wed 30th JulyIf you visited or lived in Dunster 40 or 50 years a...
24/07/2025

DUNSTER TO FEATURE IN NEXT EPISODE OF ‘THE REPAIR SHOP’ Wed 30th July

If you visited or lived in Dunster 40 or 50 years ago you are sure to remember the Model Village which was on view in the garden at Spears Cross, by the Castle gates.
The models were all made by Llewellyn Pluck, owner of the Spears House Guest House from 1971 to 1986.
Recently Llewellyn’s granddaughter, Sarah Gardner, tracked down one of the models, a replica of Culbone Church. It was in a very sorry state of disrepair, so Sarah contacted the BBC television programme ‘The Repair Shop’, and they agreed to try to restore it.
The results are strictly under wraps at the moment – all Sarah can say is “It’s amazing!”.
You can judge for yourselves by watching the next episode of the programme, which airs on Wednesday, 30 July, at 8pm on BBC1.
The restored model will be returning to Dunster shortly, and will be on view at Dunster Museum – more details will be posted here when we have them

You can find details of the programme (and watch it on catch-up afterwards) at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002gjvj


Exmoor National Park Centres: Lynmouth, Dunster and Dulverton
The Museum of Somerset
Exmoor National Park
Discover Dunster
Porlock Information Centre

With thanks to the marvellous Barbara, we have installed an exhibition in the entrance hall of the Museum dedicated to t...
07/05/2025

With thanks to the marvellous Barbara, we have installed an exhibition in the entrance hall of the Museum dedicated to the 11 servicemen who died during WW2 to commemorate VE Day detailing their lives and service. Barbara and her team are now busy investigating all those who died in WW1 and also those who served in both wars, that are listed on the Memorial Plaque outside the Museum.

Please get in contact if you have any information about these men especially photos as we would love to put a face to their names. We have been contacted by the neice of William Furse and would love to hear from more relatives. Please share to help get this quest out.

Contact us on [email protected]

Discover Dunster Dunster Ancestors Dunster Info Exmoor National Park Centres: Lynmouth, Dunster and Dulverton Exmoor National Park ExmoorRadio Exmoor Magazine Love Minehead Bay Minehead and Exmoor Porlock Information Centre Porlock Weir Visit Exmoor

Photo: Plaque from St George's Church, Dunster, listing those who died in WW2

Thanks to Dunster's Knit and Natter Group for this glorious handmade tribute commemorating VE Day. It adorns the front o...
03/05/2025

Thanks to Dunster's Knit and Natter Group for this glorious handmade tribute commemorating VE Day. It adorns the front of the Memorial Hall, which was built in 1921 as a memorial to those from the village who served and died in World War I. The Memorial Hall now houses the village's museum and doll collection. Over the coming months we will be sharing research into those on the brass plaque on the front of the building.

Pic and hanging credit: Mark Curtis, Dunster Signage

We need your help! As part of the village commemorative events for VE / VJ later in the summer, Dunster Museum is workin...
01/05/2025

We need your help!

As part of the village commemorative events for VE / VJ later in the summer, Dunster Museum is working on an exhibition to share the work we have been doing to investigate the men who served and died for their country in the World Wars and are named on the Memorial Plaque outside the Museum. We are also delving through our archives to share photos from Dunster during the war and of the celebrations on VE and VJ day.

Do you have any photos of this period that you would be happy to share with us? Do you have any stories of your experiences of WW2 or VE / VJ Days in Dunster, or do you remember stories told to you by those who were there? Can you offer any help in investigating the life stories of those commemorated on the Memorial Plaque.'
Contact: [email protected]

Pic credit: Dunster Museum: Photo of VJ Day celebrations in Dunster - pictured at the front Mr and Mrs Fern and their daughter Margaret (lived in 15 West Street, ran the Gas Showrooms) and Geoffrey Luttrell (Dunster Castle). I have a particular interest in the Ferns as I live in their house! I would love to hear from Margaret Tredigo (nee Fern) or her family!

Discover Dunster Dunster Info Dunster Village Exmoor National Park Exmoor Magazine Exmoor National Park Centres: Lynmouth, Dunster and Dulverton West Somerset Free Press

The Dunster Spinners and Weavers will be demonstrating their skills in the Museum on Saturday and the Sunday from 11:00 ...
04/12/2024

The Dunster Spinners and Weavers will be demonstrating their skills in the Museum on Saturday and the Sunday from 11:00 to 15:30 for the Dunster Winter Festival. Here they are having a practice session in the Museum in preparation.

Young Leonard Cantle c.1910Leonard Cantle was the son of Dunster School’s headmaster. He enlisted in the 4th Gloucester ...
10/11/2024

Young Leonard Cantle c.1910
Leonard Cantle was the son of Dunster School’s headmaster. He enlisted in the 4th Gloucester Regiment, serving on the Western Front, and was awarded the Military Medal for "acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire". He later transferred to the Indian Mountain Artillery, where he was a Lieutenant. Jack Haydon, who was a Dunster schoolboy during WW1, recalled in his memoirs that “Mr Cantle’s son Leonard brought home a soldier’s cane and his father made good use of it!”.
After the war Leonard resumed his studies at Cambridge University, and then joined Colonial Civil Service working in Nigeria and Cameroon. As far as we know he never married. He died in 1950.

Two of our museum stewards, Barbara and Lesley, have been busy this year researching the lives of all the World War One servicemen listed on Dunster’s memorial plaque. If you have any information that would help their research, they would love to hear from you, photos especially welcome. And if you are currently a Dunster resident and would like to know whether any of our servicemen lived in your house or nearby, they can help with that as well. You can contact them via our email address [email protected]

Eddo Thomas with Parham’s first motorised delivery van, 1920sEdwin (‘Eddo’) Thomas was only 16 when World War One starte...
10/11/2024

Eddo Thomas with Parham’s first motorised delivery van, 1920s
Edwin (‘Eddo’) Thomas was only 16 when World War One started, and he probably enlisted in 1916. He served in the Somerset Light Infantry 4th Reserve Battalion, which was a home service battalion, stationed at various locations in the UK for home defence and other duties. Four of Eddo’s brothers are also commemorated on our Memorial plaque – his brother Jack, who died in a German prisoner-of-war camp in 1918; and Ambrose, Herbert and Samuel, who all returned home safely. After the war Eddo worked as a delivery driver for Parham’s grocery store. He lived in St George’s St, and later in West Close, and died in 1984.

Two of our museum stewards, Barbara and Lesley, have been busy this year researching the lives of all the World War One servicemen listed on Dunster’s memorial plaque. If you have any information that would help their research, they would love to hear from you, photos especially welcome. And if you are currently a Dunster resident and would like to know whether any of our servicemen lived in your house or nearby, they can help with that as well. You can contact them via our email address [email protected]

Address

Dunster Memorial Hall, 17 High Street
Dunster
TA246SF

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 3pm
Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 1pm - 3pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

+441643821493

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