The Parish and Priory Church of St. George, Dunster
The Parish and Priory Church of St. George, Dunster
The Parish and Priory Church of St. George, Dunster
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- Roaming DollyChester, United Kingdom15 contributionsI would have liked to be able to stay longer and explore moreA beautiful church with the longest rood screen in the country so well worth visiting. A lovely church churchyard with Passion Flowers in bloom and fruiting - so lovely to see them. Dunster itself is quite a touristy small town but retains its charm. There is an imposing castle overlooking the main street and a Yarn Market still in place. The Deli (on the main street) is well worth a visit for goodies to take home.Visited September 2023Traveled soloWritten September 23, 2023
- Peter ZLondon, United Kingdom1,090 contributionsWonderful churchA must visit while you are in Dunster, and definitely one to visit if you have an interest in buildings. A fabulous church with well preserved medieval artefacts. A tile floor that I think rivals Cleeve Abbey, strong boxed that require the presence of five people to open and a beautiful rood screen.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 26, 2024
- ViLoWoCornwall, United Kingdom52 contributionsLike a mini cathedral!A really stunning church with loads to look at. The organ is very impressive and the bells ringing out a different tune every four hours are quite unusual. There is also a memorial garden on the north side of the church (not to be confused with the nearby Dunster Village Garden).Visited September 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten September 8, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
98 reviews
Excellent
56
Very good
39
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Melford Boy
32 contributions
Sep 2019
We visited Dunster for a family 3 night break in September 2019. We rented a gorgeous house a few hundred feet from the church at a cost of around £1300 for the 3 nights. We were woken EVERY morning at 5am with bell ringers ringing the bells, and every 15 minutes from then until 9am. WHY RING CHURCH BELLS AT 5AM????????? AND EVERY 15 MINS AFTER?????? Completely ruined our stay and woke us up every morning. Dunster is beautiful. The Church however needs to let residents and locals sleep!
Written September 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RestaurantHobbyist
County Wicklow, Ireland91 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
I have visited numerous churches throughout Europe over the years and some just hit you with a feeling of great history and spirituality. Dunster is one of these and as it dates before the Reformation one has the feel of that earlier time. It is well presented with good information and the old dovecote ,tithe barn and gardens add greatly to the experience. Not to be missed.
Written July 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richtea212018
Swansea, UK81 contributions
Sep 2019
One of the most distinctive features of this church is the situation of the rood screen, which is positioned across the nave. The Church authorities resolved a dispute many years ago between monks and parishioners by moving the screen forward to divide the church between the two sides of the argument!
Written September 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EESW1
Lincolnshire, UK5,493 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
This is a most unusual church and one of the few with a monastic choir.
It was originally a priory church which was shared by the villagers. There were regular arguments over the time of services, payment of fees and who could ring the bells. In the C15th it was decided to divide the church, with the monks using the chancel and the parish the rest of the church. A huge screen was built across the nave to separate the two areas. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the chancel passed into the hands of the Luttrell family of Dunster Castle and was used as their private chapel and family mausoleum.
The parish still uses the church and a new chancel was built under the tower. The old monastic choir is no longer used.
It is a very attractive church and there is a lot to see and admire. The screen is one of the longest in Europe. Look up at the tower roof to see the trap door used when the bells were removed and replaced after being recast in the C20th. Stop and admire the carved pew ends - each one is different. The original stone font is in the south aisle.
There is the amazing and splendid memorial to Sir Thomas Luttrell and his son George at the end of the south aisle, along with a memorial slab in the floor to Dame Elizabeth Luttrell. In the chancel is the tomb of Sir Hugh Luttrell and his wife.
Off the monastic choir is one of the old chantry chapels, which still has its original stone altar complete with consecration crosses.
And finally the memorial garden outside the church is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the sunshine...
It was originally a priory church which was shared by the villagers. There were regular arguments over the time of services, payment of fees and who could ring the bells. In the C15th it was decided to divide the church, with the monks using the chancel and the parish the rest of the church. A huge screen was built across the nave to separate the two areas. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the chancel passed into the hands of the Luttrell family of Dunster Castle and was used as their private chapel and family mausoleum.
The parish still uses the church and a new chancel was built under the tower. The old monastic choir is no longer used.
It is a very attractive church and there is a lot to see and admire. The screen is one of the longest in Europe. Look up at the tower roof to see the trap door used when the bells were removed and replaced after being recast in the C20th. Stop and admire the carved pew ends - each one is different. The original stone font is in the south aisle.
There is the amazing and splendid memorial to Sir Thomas Luttrell and his son George at the end of the south aisle, along with a memorial slab in the floor to Dame Elizabeth Luttrell. In the chancel is the tomb of Sir Hugh Luttrell and his wife.
Off the monastic choir is one of the old chantry chapels, which still has its original stone altar complete with consecration crosses.
And finally the memorial garden outside the church is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the sunshine...
Written April 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen M
Syston, UK54 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
Didn't go in the church but the gardens looked after by the Dunster community & the memorial garden were really nice.
The dovecote is nearby too and worth a quick look.
The whole village is beautiful with old buildings everywhere but only 5 minutes from Minehead.
The dovecote is nearby too and worth a quick look.
The whole village is beautiful with old buildings everywhere but only 5 minutes from Minehead.
Written August 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian Hewitt
Sheffield, UK6 contributions
Oct 2021
There is no need for church bells to churn out a song 3 times through the night as well as on the quarter,half hour and hour!!! Holiday visitors will desert the village!!!
Written October 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David n
Manchester, UK4,765 contributions
Aug 2021
The interior was very good with a few - not many - stained glass windows. Strikingly large for such a small village.
Written August 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jollyrobert
Bridgend, UK950 contributions
Nov 2019
On our recent visit to Dunster on the eastern edge of Exmoor, we were so charmed by the village, and its history, that we spent the whole day just enjoying its various sights. St. Georges was our day's final visit, and as the dusk was decending we entered this vast and imposing church. I won't spoil the story, but it has a most interesting history, as well as a very fine rood screen (clue: this is part of that story). We were also moved by the "silent exhibit", a series of outlines, representing lost military persons, which were part of the Armistace Day commemorations. There was ample evidence elsewhere that this is a living church with all sorts of activities in each and every corner. The altarpiece is truly magnificent with a nod to the mythical George and Dragon, but the real star is the enormous wagon roof which somehow survived the iconiclasts and Cromwell.
Written November 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian
Cambridge, UK26 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
St George's is well worth a stop if only to see the decorative rood screen the width of nave & aisles. There's some excellent Victorian tile work, several grand monuments and, although the nave is somewhat dark, the wagon roof is memorable. Well kept by the parish, open and welcoming
Written May 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annieS2021
Newport, UK48 contributions
May 2018
Enjoyed a wonderful wedding in this lovely church. Surprisingly big inside, beautiful stained glass and ornate.
Written May 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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