Ixviii. TAUNTON AND DUNSTER. 



Confessor Al uric held " Torre," as Dunster was then called (cj. the Dartmoor 

 " tors " and the latin " turris "), and there had his castcllitm, so that there was a 

 Saxon as well as Norman and Early English Castle at Dunster. In the same 

 hall is to be seen in a glass case the fine collection of original deeds of the 

 Luttrell family, with the seals attached to them. When in 1650 Prynne incurred 

 the displeasure of Oliver Cromwell he was sent for detention to Dunster Castle, 

 upon which the Parliament's order for " slighting," had happily not been 

 executed, and there he amused himself by arranging the family muniments. One 

 of the most interesting is an acknowledgment of the Lady Joan Mohun to Lady 

 Elizabeth Luttrell for 5,000 marks paid for the Castle of Dunster. 



Had time only permitted, the visitors would have been glad, on bidding adieu 

 to Mr. and Mrs. Luttrell, to linger in the lovely gardens, where thriving exotics 

 bear witness to the exceptional mildness of the climate. Besides sturdy palms 

 one notices particularly a lemon tree, loaded with lemons of full size ripening in 

 the open air. 



DUNSTER PRIORY CHURCH. 



On the way to the church the lofty-timbered house known as 

 the " Nunnery " was passed, never apparently, notwithstanding 

 its name, used for conventual purposes an exceedingly pictur- 

 esque half-timber building of considerable size. The Vicar of the 

 Priory Church, Prebendary Hancock, F.S.A., was unfortunately 

 unable to return from a journey in time to receive the party, and 

 in his absence the Club were once more indebted to the good 

 offices of the Rev. F. W. Weaver. 



The monks of Dunster were Benedictines ; Dunster was a cell of Bath Abbey. 

 The Bishop of Bath and Wells was titular Abbot, and the Prior of Dunster was 

 always appointed from the monks of Bath. At Dunster the monks and the 

 parishioners divided the Church between them ; the monastic quire being situated 

 east of the tower.* In the people's portion of the building, the visitors' 

 attention was called to the beautiful screen, the carving of which was much 

 admired. Another screen formerly stood under the eastern arch of the tower, 



* As the result of a dispute in 149^, the space within the tower and two 

 transepts was adjudged to be neutral ground. The people's Altar was placed 

 under the western tower arch, where it remained until the last century, when 

 as Freeman observes in speaking of Dunster" < restoration ' had its usual effect 

 of wiping out history." A portion of the old monks' screen may now be seen, 

 utilised as a parclose in the south choir aisle. [Ed.] 



