Current placement opportunities

Organisation name: The National Trust

Organisation website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Location of placement: Remote, plus site visits to Dunster and relevant archives by mutual agreement.

Timeframe: 3 months’ duration, commencing 23 November 2026, completing 20 February 2027.

To apply: To apply, please send a CV and 300-word statement of interest explaining how and why you feel you can deliver on this placement to claire.reed@nationaltrust.org.uk, copying in lydia.rys@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Application deadline: 5pm, 14 August 2026

Interviews: Informal online interviews to be held in August.

Placement Description

One full-time placement opportunity is available. Unfortunately, due to the timescales involved, it is not possible to undertake this placement on a part-time basis. We will consider splitting the brief into two shorter placements (by topic) for the right candidates.

Everyone is welcome at the National Trust. If you have access needs and would like to discuss them confidentially with us before applying, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What the placement will do

Dunster Castle in the ‘Year of the Normans’

Below we have provided an overview of the aims and outputs of this placement, and our selection process.

Background

While the stronghold at Dunster, in West Somerset, may be of Saxon origin, the erection of a castle on the site, soon after 1066, is credited to William de Mohun (d. post 1087).  De Mohun had been a supporter of William the Conqueror and was given the lands of the Saxon Thegn Aelfric. The family held Dunster for the next three centuries.  During The Anarchy, William de Mohun, 1^st Earl of Somerset (c.1096-1155), supported the Empress Matilda and the Castle withstood a siege by King Stephen's forces in 1138. In 1376 Joan de Mohun sold Dunster Castle to Elizabeth Luttrell.  

2027 is the European Year of the Normans – a wide-spread cultural initiative marking the 1000-year anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror. It is also proving to be a catalyst for better understanding the Norman history of Dunster Castle.  

Research placement

Dunster Castle’s striking silhouette dominates the skyline and at first glance it might seem to be the archetypal medieval castle.  In fact, this is a much-adapted building.  The interiors are largely those of a comfortable 19^th-century home and the castle’s medieval history is somewhat difficult to unpick.

During this placement you’ll unravel Dunster’s early history to enable us to better interpret the early part of the house and its owners and bring this to life for Dunster’s visitors during the Year of the Normans.

Application of this research

This placement will provide the research from which the Dunster team will develop programming and interpretive content marking the Year of the Normans throughout 2027. Longer term, it will help to fill a significant gap in the understanding of Dunster’s history.

1.         Norman Dunster - and life under the de Mohuns

You will research and produce an overview of the Norman context of Dunster and West Somerset/ Exmoor, from around the time of the Conquest (1066) until the end of The Anarchy (1154).  

You will then explore Dunster’s early owners - the de Mohuns - and identify the key events in their lives that might shed light on their time at Dunster. This will touch on their political, financial and social lives in the national and global context.  

Key research questions include:

• West Somerset pre and post Conquest: How was the region divided/ governed? What was it like to live in?
• Who were the de Mohuns?
• Where were their other properties and do records remain in French archives?
• What was the impact of the Conquest on varying social classes?
• What role did women and children play?  
• The cultural context: Are there any surviving works of art, literature, folk tales, nursery rhymes or songs from this period?

Outputs

It is envisaged that the outputs of this placement will take the form of:

• Written report with full references and bibliography.
• List of key assets that could help interpret Dunster’s Norman/ de Mohun story e.g.: objects, images, archive documents, quotations. 
• Suggestions for follow up research questions and archives to consult.  

There is also potential to:

• Share your findings with our staff, volunteers and visitors by giving talks.
• Share your findings via Dunster’s social media accounts.
• Share your findings via the National Trust Research Team’s internal and external channels.
• Share your findings with our curatorial team through our internal webinar series.

Supervision

The student will be supported by a team of National Trust staff comprised of colleagues from the Dunster property team and the regional Strategic Delivery Team, as appropriate.

Selection Criteria

Essential:

• Demonstrable understanding of and experience in the topics and methodologies required.
• Ability and willingness to travel to Dunster and/or relevant archives. You will be able to apply for travel and accommodation expenses from the OOC DTP.

• Ability to author a fully referenced, comprehensive research report in English with minimal supervision.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Ability and willingness to respond positively to feedback on work and make appropriate changes.

• Ability to work at pace and meet deadlines consistently.
• Willingness to try something new, adapt quickly to a new organisation and new ways of working, and learn from industry professionals.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with and understanding of the National Trust, its work and organisational aims.

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team to enable effective work with curators and other heritage professionals.
• Experience of sharing complex academic content with non-specialist audiences.

Contact:

If you have questions about this opportunity please contact Claire Reed, Cultural Heritage Curator: claire.reed@nationaltrust.org.uk and Lydia Rys, Collections and House Manager: lydia.rys@nationaltrust.org.uk