The claim
Facing Dunster's yarn market below the castle, the Luttrell Arms is a stone-built late medieval house said to have lodged the abbots of Cleeve. It is now a hotel, but its beamed bar and courtyard garden work as the village pub and won the Good Pub Guide's Inn of the Year in 2016. Look for the four-centred stone doorway.
What the records show
The 1443 is the hotel's own: its history page, archived in 2016, says the Luttrell Arms occupies the site of three ancient houses recorded from 1443, when two were conveyed to Richard Luttrell by William Dodesham, and adds that nothing shows how old those houses were or what part they play in the building standing today. The Grade II* building is late 15th century. The tradition that it was a guest house of the abbots of Cleeve is unproven, and the date it first became an inn was not established.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1443 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| c.1443 | Present building | Building fabric |
What to look for inside
- Traditionally a guest house for the abbots of Cleeve Abbey
- Good Pub Guide Inn of the Year 2016
- Stands opposite Dunster's Yarn Market
Visiting
The Luttrell Arms is in Dunster, England, at High Street, Dunster, Somerset. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luttrell_Arms
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1057611
- www.exmoorher.co.uk/Designation/DEM3050
- web.archive.org/web/20160331140334/http://www.luttrellarms.co.uk/history
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/1807900
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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