Dunster Yarn Market, Somerset
Built in 1609, Dunster Yarn Market in Somerset is a timber-framed octagonal market hall still standing today.
The remarkable structure has been designated as Grade I listed and a Scheduled Monument.
Famously, it was damaged during the Civil War, you can still see the hole made by a cannonball on one of the large oak beams.
Dunster is one of Somerset's most charming villages.
In the 12th century, it was a coastal settlement and served as the primary trading port for Exmoor.
Despite the sea retreating and leaving Dunster two miles inland, the village continued to flourish as a hub for the wool trade.
It was during this period that Dunster's impressive Yarn Market was established.
By the 16th and 17th centuries, demand had shifted from raw wool to finished cloth.
Since Dunster cloth was woven in nearby mills, the village remained prosperous, as evidenced by the construction of the Yarn Market.
Built in 1609 and repaired in 1647, the Yarn Market stands in the middle of the high street as a monument to this trade.
Before its construction, most buying and selling occurred in the open air.
Given the unpredictability of English weather, trading was often interrupted by wind or rain, and sellers were concerned about the security of their goods.
The Yarn Market provided a permanent solution to these problems.
It measures 9.4 metres in diameter, with a central stone pier supporting a sturdy timber framework.
Its slate roof, interrupted by dormer windows, is crowned with a central wooden lantern topped by a weather vane.
A low wall and vertical timber supports encircle the structure, with some sills made of stone and others of timber.
One of the roof beams bears a hole from cannon fire during the Civil War when Dunster Castle, under Colonel Wyndham, was a besieged Royalist stronghold for five months.
The famous castle is perched on a steep, 200-foot-high hill, known as the Tor, overlooking the village of Dunster.
In the early medieval period, the sea reached the base of the hill, near the mouth of the River Avill, providing natural defense and making the village an inland port.
Several Iron Age hillforts were built near Dunster, including Bat's Castle, Black Ball Camp, and Grabbist Hill.
However, the earliest evidence of fortification at Dunster is an Anglo-Saxon burgh, built on the summit of the hill, likely to protect the region from sea-borne raiders.
By the mid-11th century, this burgh was controlled by a local nobleman named Aelfric.
In the late 1130s, England entered a civil war known as the Anarchy, where supporters of King Stephen fought against those of Empress Matilda for control of the kingdom.
William de Mohun's eldest son, also named William, was a prominent supporter of Matilda, and Dunster was one of her faction's strongest castles in the southwest.
In 1138, forces loyal to Stephen besieged the castle, even constructing a nearby siege castle, though all traces of it have been lost.
William successfully defended Dunster and was rewarded by the grateful Empress with the title of Earl of Somerset.
Chroniclers noted his subsequent raids and forceful control of the region, which caused significant destruction.
After the conflict, William's son, yet another William, inherited the castle following a brief period of royal ownership under Henry II.
This William required his tenants to contribute to the repair and maintenance of the castle walls as part of their feudal obligations.
The second Market Cross
A second market cross, known as the Butter Cross, was built in the 15th century and originally stood near the Yarn Market.
It was relocated to the outskirts of the village in the 18th or 19th century. The Yarn Market is under the guardianship of English Heritage but managed by the National Trust.
In 1951, the Ministry of Works took over various properties, including the Yarn Market, from the Crown Estate.
They carried out restoration work, which was controversial as the roof shape was altered to more closely resemble the original design, rather than the shape resulting from later modifications.
Visiting The Yarn Market
Today, the market is managed by English Heritage and free to visit.
There is general parking in the village with 109 spaces including dedicated disabled parking, with approximately a 500 metre walk through the village to the site.
Up to 1 hour parking is free, up to 2 hours £1.50, up to 4 hours £2.50 and all day £4.70. Parking is non-refundable and you can pay only with coins.
Parking for coaches and minibuses is possible and there is no need to prebook, but the village can be very busy in summer.
The address is: High St, Dunster, Minehead TA24 6SF.
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