Reading time: 4 minutes
Dunster in Somerset has over 200 listed buildings and more than a few ghosts! Spooky Isles talks to Dunster author Nina Dodd about some of the folklore surrounding the medieval village
Nina Dodd talks about Dunster
If you’re looking for a weekend away, Dunster in Somerset might be the place to visit! As well as being traditionally described as one of the best preserved medieval villages in Britain, it is now also branded as ‘Britain’s most haunted place’. To find out how this happened, we interviewed author Nina Dodd.
SPOOKY ISLES: You have a book out called Witches, giants and a ghost cat – a travel guide to the mysterious tales of Dunster in September 2023. Can you tell us what it is and how you came to write it?
NINA DODD: I moved to Dunster five years ago with my husband and two sons and quickly realized that, although Dunster is such a popular place for visitors, only a few books had been written about it. I had been toying with the idea of writing a book for a few years and finally in 2022 I thought ‘why not?’ After all, I had been working as a journalist for over fifteen years, so putting pen to paper was nothing new for me.
What I didn’t expect was how the subject attracted me. The project started as a spooky travel guide, but quickly turned into a much broader investigation into Old English superstitions, folk beliefs and tales of aliens living in this beautiful south. West Village had been shared for hundreds of years.
We understand that after your book was published in September, the media caught wind of it and quickly dubbed Dunster ‘Britain’s most haunted place’.
Yes, the British press can create compelling headlines, can’t they? In reality, the titles of the articles written about the book and Dunster’s haunted scene are not far from the truth, as I have collected over 60 ghost stories from Dunster alone, and several new ones have surfaced since then. Dunster has over 200 listed buildings, the oldest dating back to the 11th century. So it is no wonder that there are many stories surrounding this village.
Tell us about the actual meetings. What is your favorite story?
If I had to pick one, it would probably be a recent story of a family watching television together in the living room when they suddenly saw a cat appear out of nowhere. As they watched in disbelief, the apparition happily jumped up and down on their furniture and then disappeared again. It was so delightful to see the family’s facial expressions as they relived the moment I interviewed them!
There are many more beautiful stories in the book about apparitions doing daily chores, such as baking bread and chatting with the young daughter of a hotel guest. There is also a story about a ghost who saved a woman’s life at night when she was in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. There are also some sad stories, such as that of the little Victorian drummer who continued to follow the owner around the house, even sitting next to her on the sofa while he watched television.
What about the more disturbing ones? Are there any dark stories you would like to share?
Most of the stories told in this book are not scary, but rather reflect the amazement of the people who experienced the encounters. There are a few darker ones, though, and one in particular that younger readers may find quite unnerving – especially the one set in St. George’s cemetery.
A villager told me how he had been walking his dog at night when he saw a woman dressed in a dark long cloak standing in the middle of St. George’s cemetery. The villager greeted, as is customary in Dunster, but when the woman turned, the villager was filled with fear, stepped back and watched as the figure produced enormous wings and soared over the ancient yew tree in the churchyard. When the villager told me this story, he still seemed shocked by it. What confused me a bit was his brother’s comment that the story reminded him of sightings of a “moth man,” who was believed to only appear before catastrophic events.
Wow, that sure is quite a story. We understand the book also includes a self-guided ghost walk through Dunster. How does that work?
In addition to telling the fantastic local superstitions and stories about witches, giants and ‘the little people’, I wanted to arrange the ghost stories in such a way that visitors could also use the book as a ghost walk guide. In the final chapter of the book I have divided the village into nine different areas, so that people can follow the path at home from the comfort of their own home, or walk through Dunster while reading the stories.
Thanks for the interview, Nina, and good luck with the book! We’re sure our readers will find it a fascinating read and head to Dunster for a short break!
Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you about the book. Dunster is a beautiful place, full of history, beautiful buildings and friendly locals, with the bonus of being able to do a real ghost hunt here. Hope to see you all in Dunster!
