An active castle with a thousand years of history and home to the Duke of Norfolk since the 1500s, the palace is open to the public during the summer months. The Arundel Castle is wonderful place to visit. The State Apartments are superb, the Keep is a throwback in time and the gardens are an absolute delight to stroll around.
Given to the cousin of William the Conqueror by the King, work began on the castle in 1067. While it transferred hands numerous times it went to the 4th Duke of Norfolk in 1555 and has stayed with the dukes ever since. Partially destroyed in the Civil War in 1643, various dukes over the years have made alterations and repairs to the castle with some of the most prominent additions being made by the 11th Duke in 1787.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the castle for three days. With almost two years to prepare, the 14th Duke remodeled parts of the castle adding a wing and commissioning alterations and red furniture for the official visit. The 16th Duke was planning to give the castle to the National Trust, but the 17th Duke opted instead to create a separate charitable trust to preserve and maintain the castle.
Arundel remains a working castle and during the time of our visit the Bedrooms’ area was not accessible as the current Duke of Norfolk had guests in residence. We were told that his second son was married the day prior and there were celebrations held at the castle.
Visiting Arundel Castle
Visiting the Arundel Castle is only possible during the summer as the duke uses the whole castle over the winter months. Perhaps for this reason, the rooms we visited were all well-furnished and decorated. Albeit much of it cordoned off.
Commemorative photos were on display throughout showing the 18th Duke of Norfolk, Edward William Fitzalan-Howard’s prominent role in organizing important events with the royal family including recent ones such as King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s coronation and Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The castle is frequented often by the British royal family.
Touring this castle was wonderful. Everything was well marked and while it’s a self-guided tour, you’ll find knowledgeable custodians in every room willing to share interesting tidbits of history.
We learned that one of the medieval knight armors in the gallery had been discovered to be a replica. Another, an ancient German suit of armor dated back to the 1600s and weighed 37kg.
Another explained how to this day it is illegal to celebrate Christmas in England. This irrevocable law was created at the time when the King was put to death and a military government was imposed. All manner of Christian religious celebrations were banned. The law cannot be appealed or removed without the consent of the now deceased king and thus remains in place but is ignored.
The Keep
The medieval part of the Keep dates back to 1190. Check out the well that plunges down 150ft (handy for having water if the castle was under siege).
During one siege however the opposing army realized that if they drained the lake, they would also cause the well to run dry. A large endeavor but they succeeded in getting the castle to surrender.
Arundel Castle Gardens
The expansive castle grounds have multiple gardens housed within the stone walls and even a wild water garden complete with ponds and a large variety of birds.
Conclusion
Arundel Castle turned out to be a truly enjoyable castle to visit and very much worth a day trip. A few of our favorite areas included the historic Regency library (with over 20,000 books), the Folly (with the floating crown on a water fountain), the beautiful Rose Garden, and the Fitzalan Chapel where many of the Dukes and Duchesses of Norfolk are buried.
Arundel Castle is a great summertime destination in England to visit and spend the day. It opens at 10am with the State Apartments only opening at 12pm. We are happy to have included Arundel Castle to our Southern England road trip.