Dunster is a popular visitor attraction, and retains many fine historic buildings and monuments, including the Butter Cross, which probably once stood at the north end of the high street. Today it has been relegated to a bank beside Alcombe road, but it still has an important story to tell about the village.
A place of trade
Crosses similar to the Butter Cross once stood in the centre of towns and villages and naturally became places where merchants would strike deals. The Butter Cross probably acquired its name from the fact that butter was sold near its original site. It is not known when it was removed to its present location, though local tradition says this was in 1825.
The head of the cross has disappeared, but the broken shaft seems to date from the 15th century. If so, it was probably the last of several replacements.
The cross as a symbol
In the Middle Ages the symbolism of the cross was everywhere: a Victorian antiquary listed over 200 outdoor crosses in Somerset alone, linking them with Glastonbury as an early missionary centre.
Crosses acted as boundaries and as memorials: Edward I (reigned 1272–1307) erected a series of beautiful and elaborate crosses to mark the resting places of the coffin of his wife, Eleanor, on its way from Lincoln, near where she died, to Westminster Abbey where she is buried. At the time of the Reformation, crosses became a symbol of superstition, and many were destroyed or moved.
Nearby places of interest
Dunster has much else to offer the visitor. A good place to start is at the Exmoor National Park Visitor Centre, which tells the story of the wool trade centred on Dunster.
The priory church is mostly 15th century but is Norman in origin, and contains the tombs of the Luttrell family, owners of Dunster Castle, and a fine rood screen. The monastic tithe barn and circular 13th century dovecote stand near the church, and fragments of another medieval cross can be found in the churchyard near the west door.
Dunster Castle sits on a hill at the edge of the village: first built as a motte-and-bailey castle in the years following the Norman Conquest, it was extensively refortified in the 13th century and modernised in the late 17th century. Remodelling in the 19th century gave the castle its present romantic, embattled skyline. Now in the care of the National Trust, it was owned by the Luttrell family for 600 years.
Sources
Pevsner, N 1958. 'The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset', Penguin
Pooley, C 1877. 'Old Crosses of Somerset', Longman Green & Company
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
