MSO9086 - Dunster Old Park (Monument)

A medieval deer park at Dunster Castle. It was documented in 1279 and disparked during the early 18th Century and became part of the landscape gardens. Part of the boundary wall survives behind houses in High Street.

[SS 9945 4380] Old Park [NAT] [1] Described in 1279 as the "small park" and in 1330 as the "Hanger", a name which it bore until 1752 or later. Hanger Park, supporting about 50 deer was close to the gardens of the houses on the east side of the High Street and separated from them by a wooden pale afterwards replaced by a stone wall. One acre of it was occupied by a fishpond. It is not known when it was converted to pasture but by the first half of the 18th century it was known not to have contained deer. A new park (MSO9088) was created in 1755 which lay to the south of the medieval park and on higher ground. [2] The only part of the park wall that now survives is behind the houses in High Street (from SS 9920 4386 to SS 9921 4363). The rest of its boundary is now undefined and does not seem to be shown on any map. The fishpond cannot be traced. [3] Additional bibliography. [4,5] The Old Park, covers an area of 50 hectares, and comprises of The Lawns and Plantations, Registered Park and Garden grade I. [6] The southeastern area of the park is labelled The Lawns on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. [7] A survey and analysis of the development and significance of the historic landscape at Dunster Castle was undertaken in 2004. [8,9] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [12] The park is mentioned in the 2018 Conservation Area Appraisal for Dunster. [13] The park was included in an impact assessment of two potential car parks within the historic landscape around Dunster [14]