Arundel Castle

The main reason for my trip to Arundel was to visit the castle. I’d seen a video online which inspired me to research more about it and once I saw how easy it was to reach by train I was sold. I will say though that as a visitor and from the ground there is no real way of seeing the whole place in its glory (other than on approach by train) as it is surrounded by trees but the gardens and interiors more than made up for it.

Tickets can be booked online in advance (which is what I did) or in person at the ticket office (by card only). There are several combinations of tickets available depending on what you want to see but naturally I wanted to do everything so I bought a ticket that let me visit the gardens and chapel, the keep, the castle itself and the bedrooms. This cost me £29. The gardens open at 10am but the castle rooms don’t open till 12 so plan accordingly. I went there as soon as they opened which gave me a very pleasant two hours or so to explore the grounds in the gorgeous sunshine before heading inside. I didn’t eat while there but there are cafes in the gardens and picnicking in the grounds is also encouraged if you want to bring your own food.

After scanning in my ticket I followed the sign to the right towards the Lower Lawns and the Ponds. This is a circular walk with water features. Note if you follow the path all the way round it leads back to the entrance.

From here my next step was the small rose garden which is planted on the site of a medieval bowling green. Enclosed by hedges and accessed via metal gates it was a lovely spot and very quiet.

Just up from the rose garden is the Fitzalan Chapel which I decided to explore before heading to the rest of the garden. Founded in 1380 it has remained a Catholic chapel and considered the private property of the Earls of Arundel rather than part of the parish church. It fell into disrepair after being damaged in the Civil War but then was restored in the 19th century. There is not much information about the history of the building inside the chapel itself but several masses are still said every year for the Dukes of Norfolk that are buried here.

Covering over 30 acres there is certainly a lot to see alongside the castle and I loved just wandering about never knowing what the next turn around the corner might reveal.

From here it was on to the keep which was built in the 11th century. You can climb up from the bottom to the top along narrow passages (and some are very narrow and steep so bear that in mind) but the reward is some great views of the area.

Then it was into the castle itself. The oldest part of the castle dates from 1068 and ownership, apart from the odd times it was taken into Royal hands, has descended from 1138 to the present day down the same family line. It was almost completely rebuilt in the Gothic style between the 1870s-1890s. One of the first areas you come across is the chapel which is really breathtaking. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary it is still in use today – all of the present Duke’s children were baptised here.

Another beautiful room was the dining room which is in what was the old medieval chapel. It was converted to a dining room in 1795 and enlarged in 1888.

Then of course there was the library, naturally my favourite room. It was redecorated in 2006 after a previous rebuilding in 1878. It’s a beautiful space full of nice details.

Overall the castle is a great place to visit – I ended up spending most of the day here. It’s not open all year round so be sure to check before travelling and keep an eye out for special events – their tulip festival looks particularly good.