Dunster Museum & Doll Collection
Village museum in Dunster's Memorial Hall with local history from Exmoor and one of the largest doll collections in the UK; entry is free.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is housed in Dunster Memorial Hall, which Alexander Luttrell gave to the village in 1921 in memory of those who served in the First World War and those who died. For many years it was a meeting place for village events.
In 1970 the family of the late Mollie Hardwick offered the hall committee the dolls she had collected since 1957 in her Dunster cottage. The committee accepted, and the doll collection opened to the public in 1971. Many more dolls have been donated since then.
After the Dunster Tithe Barn was restored as a community venue in 2007, the Memorial Hall was used less, and in 2012 it was decided to turn it into a modern museum and community centre dedicated to the village. The refurbished museum now tells the story of Dunster and its roughly 10,000-year history, with local objects, photographs and a display on the Green Howards, who were raised at Dunster Castle during the Civil War. The doll collection is shown in the Harborne Gallery on the first floor.
Highlights
- Doll collection with thousands of dolls from different periods, cultures and makers
- Twenty Sasha dolls in 1913 period dress and the Bristol Red Cross dolls
- Egyptian burial doll and a 16th-century plague doll
- Displays on the 10,000-year history of the Exmoor village
- Civil War cannon ball and musket ball finds and photographs of the village in the Second World War
Permanent exhibitions
- Dunster Museum – Objects and photographs telling the 10,000-year story of Dunster, including a display on the Green Howards raised at Dunster Castle during the Civil War.
- Doll Collection in the Harborne Gallery – Thousands of dolls from many eras, cultures and makers, including fashion and artists' dolls, Sasha dolls and Bristol Red Cross dolls.
- Founded
- 1971
- Operated by
- Dunster Museum & Doll Collection (volunteer-run, in Dunster Memorial Hall)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free; the museum asks for donations to keep it that way.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The main entrance has a couple of steps, and a collapsible ramp is available for wheelchairs. The doll collection is on the first floor and can be reached by lift. A unisex wheelchair-accessible toilet with a baby-changing table is on the ground floor. Visitors can ask the hall guide for help.
Kids & families
- Baby changing facilities
A baby-changing table is in the ground-floor accessible toilet.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Dunster (West Somerset Railway station)
Buses from Minehead, Taunton and Tiverton stop in or near Dunster. The West Somerset Railway has a station in Dunster, about half a mile from the village centre on signposted paths.
By car
Parking available
Limited free on-street parking in the village. There are two pay and display car parks, in Park Street and on Dunster Steep (£4.70 for 24 hours each), and the National Trust car park at Dunster Castle (free for members, charges for non-members).
Dunster is within Exmoor National Park, about 45 minutes by car from junction 23 or 25 of the M5. Satellite navigation postcode: TA24 6SF.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum is in the High Street of Dunster, close to the Yarn Market and Dunster Castle.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Schools and groups are welcome, and visits outside opening hours can be arranged by contacting the museum. The museum also helps researchers with enquiries about the collection. |
