Dunster Castle motte, or Upper Ward, and an area below shaped to form the bailey, or Lower Ward. Somerset became more stable in the aftermath of the post-invasion period and the unsuccessful 1068 rebellion against Norman rule. It was common in the period for the Normans to build religious houses to accompany major castles, and accordingly William de Mohun endowed a Benedictine priory at Dunster in 1090, along with its parent abbey at Bath. The River Avill was important for trade; the region around Dunster was rich with fisheries and vineyards, and Dunster Castle prospered. Stone fortifications were built on the site
Dunster cross has an octagonal base and polygonal shaft, however the head of the cross has been lost. It stands on a small area of raised ground on a plinth. The socket stone is wide and high. The surviving shaft is high and changes from square to octagonal as it rises. There is an inscription on the northern face which says "WC, 1871, WS" recording a restoration. It is in the care of English Heritage for the state and managed by the National Trust. Other notable buildings include the Nunnery, Dunster Watermill, Dovecote and the Priory barn, which belonged to Dunster