Arundel Castle

The majestic Castle looks down upon its mother Arundel

Looking from the outside

Arundel (Pronounced Aow-ren-del ) is a small quaint English town built on a hilltop, the two main churches are St. Nicholas Church this is a unique church in that it is both Roman Catholic and Protestant, the soaring spire of Roman Catholic Cathedral the other main point of religion in Arundel was designed by Joseph Hansom, it was he who invented the Hansom cab.

Arundel is the quintessence of an old English town it has an amazing mixture of medieval and Victorian architecture, the cobbled streets and narrow lanes are full of antique shops, Arundel has several small museums and tea-rooms and of course no British town would be seen dead without its array of quaint and cosy pubs. The town nestles in the South Downs Twix the rolling hills and the sea.

Sitting right at the top of the hill is the Castle it sits in 40 acres of downland

Looking from the South

Arundel Castle holds nearly 1000 years of history
From the days of King Henry 1st to the present Queen.
Looking over the river Arun which winds its way down to Littlehampton and the English Channel the castle was built by the Earl of Arundel Roger de Montgomery in the 11th century

The Castle now the seat of The Dukes of Norfolk (The Howard family), houses priceless works of paintings, furniture, tapestries and stained glass, china, clocks, sculptures and carving, heraldry and Armour all set in stunning rooms it is open to the public and no visit is complete without a visit to the Castle.

It's one of the castles Cromwell knocked about

A view from the outside

Some famous members of the Howard family are Lord Howard of Effingham, who with Sir Francis Drake helped beat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554) was the uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both later became wives of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

The motte, an artificial mound was built in 1068 King Henry I (1068-1135) left the Castle and lands to his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain, during the Civil war, in 1643 the original castle was badly damaged by the cannons of Oliver Cromwell’s army he used the steeple of St. Nicholas’ Church to fire cannon shot, the Castle was later restored in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Full of history, it’s a must place to visit

Under the wall

Arundel Castle now stands in its entire magnificent splendour looking over the town and its churches, it is one of the many majestic Castles found in the British Isles and stands as a reminder to the days of old when Knights were bold, and fought for lady's honour.

All the pictures are by the author.