Arundel
Arundel
The village of Arundel is one of the loveliest in England and with an impressive castle overlooking the river Arun the town is a tourist hotspot in summer. The castle is home to the Dukes of Norfolk the Earls Marshall of England for 500 years. The family still occupy the great castle, which takes up most of the hill on which both it and the village sit.
Most of the original castle was destroyed by Cromwell in 1643 but it was rebuilt in the 18th century, the keep and barbican are original. Parts of the house are open to the public a must-see is the fine regency gothic library, there are also paintings by celebrated artist such as Canaletto, Turner and Gainsborough.
The medieval village streets cling to the hillside and are full of little shops, cafes and tearooms, antiques outlets are also well represented. The views of the surrounding countryside are well worth the steep climb to the castle.
The 19th century catholic cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip was built in 1868 -1873 and was designed by Joseph Hansom in the French gothic style. This spectacular building has some fine stained glass windows one in particular celebrates Philip Howard who was made a saint in 1970. Elsewhere there are some fine Georgian houses in the town that give the place a quiet dignified air.
Activities in Arundel
Visit abcbritain's profile on Pinterest.