Taking a leisurely walk down the quiet streets of this quintessentially English village, you’d be forgiven for not realising a seaside resort voted among Britain’s ‘worst’ is just a few miles away.
Dunster, in Somerset, is a charming picture-postcard hamlet of just 800 people that can trace its roots back to the Iron Age.
But less than three miles away on the shores of the Bristol Channel tourist hotspot Minehead is very much a different world.
A previous survey by Which? of 100 resorts asked 3,000 people to rate destinations based on value for money, its seafront, scenery, and attractions.
At the time of the poll Minehead, which is famously home to a Butlins as well as other attractions, came in the top ten of ‘worst seaside resorts’.
The ranking sparked a disgruntled reaction from councillors and residents. One local told SomersetLive Minehead enjoyed “amazing sunrises and sunsets” and that those putting the town down could “bog off”.
And Visit Minehead says the town has long been known as “The gateway to Exmoor” and is “a fantastic seaside holiday destination for families, couples and those with a sense for adventure”.
Dunster on the other hand has been named as one of the best places to enjoy seeing spring blossom in Britain, at the National Trust-run Dunster Castle which is surrounded by cherry trees.
The village also enjoys an annual Dunster agricultural show, which this month celebrated running for an incredible 175 years. The showground takes up a spectacular location on lawns below the castle.
Many of the buildings in the village are thatched cottages, with colourful gardens. The iconic church of St George and the famous Yarn market, built in 1605, is a must-see for all tourists.
The famous castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor and has been in place since the late Anglo-Saxon period.
Over the centuries, the castle has seen its fair share of action, most notably during the English Civil War. The castle was the fortified home of the Lutrells for over 600 years before it was remodelled in the 1870s to create the stunning country house which currently sits there today.
