Arundel Castle – West Sussex (England)

Posted September 23rd, 2011 in UK Travel & Places by Andrew

I’m nuts about history, so a trip to Arundel Castle in West Sussex was the perfect fix for my history cravings. Little research was done before the visit, so when we arrived at the town itself I was bowled over by the history seeping out of every nook and cranny.

The Castle itself and the castle grounds are pure historic pleasure to wrap yourself up in for half a day. Built up over hundreds of years and if you like beautiful grounds, gardens, historic buildings and a rich associated history, then Arundel Castle is a must visit when in West Sussex.

We started by taking a walk around the gardens, then enjoyed a packed lunch in the grounds, which they are not really geared up for it seems (else we ate lunch in the wrong place). Though inside their small café does a great hot chocolate!

Inside the main Castle building itself you are not allowed to take photographs, which is a shame. It blew us all away, it is impressive. There are sections which are many hundreds of years old, which you find yourself walking narrow steps up through towers to visit. Else newer sections built in Victorian times lined with paintings of the Dukes and Duchesses of the Castle.

The Castle is still lived in today and some of the beautiful bedrooms we saw are still used. Beautiful fittings, fire places, ancient beds and beautiful views. Jealous? I was and still am.

It seems most my life I’ve been following in Queen Victoria’s shadow across the UK. Now it appears I’m also taking a tour of her toilets, for I have seen yet another toilet which the Queen has um…er… oh I’ve lowered the tone somewhat here.

Being a book geek, the library was a treat to venture into. Sunlight filtering in and rows of old books travelling through history in dignified surroundings.

It wouldn’t be a Castle without a decent dollop of armoury. German swords, English suits of armour etc. A necessary and welcomed part of any castle experience. I think the icing on the visit was the sheer scale of the Castle and grounds, plus the fact it appears in these tough times, the castle has good foot traffic visiting and is well maintained.

Below is a gallery of Arundel Castle and grounds: