Attractions and Places To See around Dowlish Wake - Top 20

Donyatt Halt Records for Donyatt Halt state: "This halt, opened on May 5th, 1928, has a single platform edged with wooden sleepers, and a small wooden shelter. A pathway leads up from the platform to the road, which crosses the line by an overbridge at the Ilminster end of the platform. An ornate oil lamp stands at the top of the path and there are various posts with brackets for hanging oil lamps in winter." It would be the guard's duty to light and extinguish these lamps. Five trains a day operated in each direction taking about 45 minutes for the 15 - mile journey from Taunton to Chard, having made stops at Thornfalcon, Hatch, Ilton, Ilminster and Donyatt. Donyatt.com

Sadly falling into ruins.

Norman castle The earthworks at the site are larger than would normally be found in a castle from the Norman period, raising speculation that it reused previously developed features. The castle was probably built by Robert, Count of Mortain in the 11th century. Archaeological evidence suggests it was built in several stages. During the first a rampart enclosing 7.5 acres (3.0 ha) was built. Soon after the Norman Conquest a smaller inner ringwork was constructed. The site was later converted into a motte and bailey, with a corner of the 20 feet (6.1 m) high motte serving as a barbican. By the early 12th century the castle was no longer in regular use. However, its use was resumed during The Anarchy, a period of civil war and unsettled government during a succession dispute between the supporters of King Stephen (1135–1154) and those of his cousin, the Empress Matilda. Continued use in the later 12th century may have been by administrators of the surrounding royal forest as a base for operations against poachers.

Castle Neroche is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle on the site of an earlier hill fort in the parish of Curland, near Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The origin of the term Neroche is believed to be a contraction of the Old English words nierra and rechich or rachich for Rache, a type of hunting-dog used in Britain in the Middle Ages, giving a meaning of the camp where hunting dogs were kept. This also gives the site its alternative name of Castle Rache. Iron Age The reason for the construction of Iron Age hill forts has been a subject of debate. It has been argued that they could have been military sites constructed in response to invasion from continental Europe, sites built by invaders, or a military reaction to social tensions caused by an increasing population and consequent pressure on agriculture. The dominant view since the 1960s has been that the increasing use of iron led to social changes in Britain. Deposits of iron ore were separated from the sources of tin and copper necessary to make bronze, and as a result trading patterns shifted and the old elites lost their economic and social status. Archaeologist Barry Cunliffe believes that population increase played a role and has stated "[the forts] provided defensive possibilities for the community at those times when the stress [of an increasing population] burst out into open warfare. But I wouldn't see them as having been built because there was a state of war. They would be functional as defensive strongholds when there were tensions and undoubtedly some of them were attacked and destroyed, but this was not the only, or even the most significant, factor in their construction.

Dillington House was built originally in the 16th century, but re-built in the 19th century. Recently, Dillington House was used by Somerset Council as an event venue and a place to run adult education courses. However the council has stopped this as of September 2023.

Castle Neroche was a motte-and-bailey castle on the site of an earlier hill fort. Evidence suggests that it was an Iron Age hill fort before the Norman castle was built as the earth works are larger than most Norman castles. Now it's a really fascinating place; the old earth works are covered in trees with amazing views between the trunks. Managed by Forestry England.

Dillington House is a historic 16th-century manor that is run as a hotel, wedding and course venue. The beautiful house is set amongst historic parkland and gardens and a delightful place to visit. During the Second World War, the house was part of 'Fortress Ilminster' as part of the Taunton Stop Line, a plan to protect against Nazi invasion. Tanks and gun emplacements stood along a long drive, which is now a public footpath.

Nice statue of a girl waiting for the train that will never come along the well maintained gravel track but some sharp changes in direction make the run from ilminster to chard confusing if you expect to be on the old railway tracks