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
Feudal barony of Dunster was Principle Private Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. In 1918 he married Alys Anne Bridges (died 1974), daughter of Rear-Admiral Walter Bridges, of Victoria, Australia, whom he had met in Australia. After his marriage he returned to England with his wife, and moved into Dunster Castle, which had been given them by his father, who continued to live at East Quantoxhead. Although not a player himself, he was interested in Polo and established a polo ground with stables at Dunster, and hosted tournaments. During World War II he was vice-chairman of the Great Western Railway Company and during the