Situated on the banks of the river Arun, Arundel castle has been for the last 400 years the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Arundel, Earl Marshall of England. Seen from the distance the town is dominated by the castle and the gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral. Tradition has it that the town was named after the giant Bevis's horse 'Hirondelle' (the swallow). A swallow is still depicted on the town's coat of arms.

Little is known about Arundel prior to the Norman Invasion. There is some evidence of Roman occupation and the town is mentioned in 901 in the will of Alfred the Great. It is known that Alfred fortified the area against sea raiders, the town had Saxon royal connections up until the reign of Harold II. There is also a reference to the port at Arundel in the Domesday Book.

The castles central courtyard (above left). The Main gate to the oldest section of the castle with the Keep in the background. (above right). Below are two views of the Main Gate and Keep, the marks left by cannon fire are can be seen on the walls.

After the Norman Invasion Sussex was divided into administrative areas called Rapes, the Arundel Rape was given to Roger de Montgomery. He became Earl of Arundel in 1067. The Keep is the oldest part of the current castle and dates from 1070, it is also known as Montgomery Tower. The town we see today grew around the castle.

In 1644 the castle was badly damaged by canon when Parliamentary forces under the command of Sir William Waller lay siege to the castle. The effect of the canon can still be seen on parts of the castle walls. Some restoration took place in 1718 but the castle we see today is the work of Henry fifteenth Duke of Norfolk.

This impressive gothic cathedral shares Arundels skyline with with the equally impressive castle. Both symbolic of the power of the Howard family.

The cathedral at Arundel is 'The Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard'. Philip Howard was the 13th Earl of Arundel, Elizabeth I for his Catholic faith persecuted him, and he died while imprisoned. The gothic cathedral built in 1860 / 1870 was designed by J A Hansom & Son, their only other design of note was the Hansom Cab. The remains of an earlier place of worship can be found by the bridge. This was the site of the Blackfriars Priory, dissolved in 1564 by King Henry VIII.

Remains of the Blackfriars Priory (south range)

A section of a sign next to the ruins of  the priory outlining the original site in relation to the ruins. The sign provided by the local authority reads;

"The Blackfriars or Dominican Friary was founded in the second quarter of the 13th century, perhaps by Isabel, Countess of Arundel. Friars liked to live close to the people they were preaching to, and here they were beside not only the river crossing but also the port and the market. Many other friaries had low-lying sites on the edge of the town or city, for instance the London Blackfriars.

The function of the surviving south range is not clear, but since it was a two-storeyed it cannot have contained the church; that must have been in the north range, remains of which can be seen behind the public lavatories opposite. The west range, which has largly gone, may have included the dormitory. Nothing is known about the east range if there was one.

After the Friary was dissolved in 1538 its buildings were converted to other uses: the south range for a time contained a timber yard and the west range a malthouse. Mill Road was laid out across the site in 1894. The remains of the south range were given to the town by the 16th Duke of Norfolk in 1935.

(The buildings were previously wrongly identified as the hospital of the Holy Trinity or Maison Dieu, which in fact stood west of St Nicholas's churchyard.)

SPOOK SPOT It is alleged that the castle is haunted by at least four ghosts. They range from a young serving lad who was beaten to death and now haunts the kitchens and a woman dressed in white who threw herself from one of the castle towers after a tragic love affair. Another ghost is the "Blue Man" who is seen to be searching through the books in the castle, the final ghost is a small white bird. The appearance of the bird supposedly means that someone connected to the castle is about to die.

The Warder of the Gatehouse in Norman times was the giant Bevis. It is said he would eat an Ox a week and in his spare time would walk across to the Isle of Wight. When Bevis was 100 years old he threw his sword "Morglay" from the castle walls and was buried where it fell. In Arundel Park there is still a mound known as Bevis's Grave. One of the castle towers was named after him and his sword can still be seen today.

Despite the popularity of Arundel as a tourist attraction and the abundance of antique and tea shops, the town has remained remarkably unspoilt.

Tucked away behind the castle is Arundel Park, it is here you will find Hiorne Tower. Although it was supposedly lived in at one time it is more likely to have been built as a hunting lodge. It was built by the architect Frances Hiorne for the Duke of Norfolk in the late 18th century. The building is widely regarded as a fine example of a folly, it is also noted for being triangular in construction.

The triangular layout and the chequered stonework
can clearly be seen in these pictures.

As you stroll through the park you may find your way to Swanbourne Lake. The lake is visited by 120,000 people each year and is home to many rare plants and insects. An excellent place to rest and enjoy the scenery, that is if you don't mind being harrased by the ever hungry ducks.

Why not take out a boat and really enjoy the lake.

Copyright © 1988–1999 Microsoft Corp. and/or its suppliers. All rights reserved.
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/MapPoint
©1998 NavTech B.V. All rights reserved. Based on Ordnance Survey electronic data; used with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ©Crown Copyright 1997.

About three-quarters of a mile outside of Arundel just past Swanbourne Lake you will find the wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary is a complex of lakes and footpaths, divided into habitats for species of birds from around the world. As you make your way around the sanctuary you will find hides for viewing the birds and displays giving insight into the birds present in each area.

Although all the birds are wild, many show no fear of people and you have to careful not to step on them. Some will even take food out of your hand. There is a well designed visitors centre with all the expected facilities. One nice touch if your hungry, is that the cafe has a small pier going out over one of the lakes where you can enjoy your food.