ARUNDEL CASTLE

A Grand Day Out to 'Treasure' in West Sussex!

Arundel Castle, one of the great treasure houses of England, has opened its magnificent gates to visitors for nearly 200 years. Thousands of visitors each year enjoy the castle and its sweeping 40 acres of grounds, and the interior is home to a priceless collection of art, furniture, tapestry and sculpture.

Over the last two decades the grounds have been restored to their full glory, and in 2008 HRH The Prince of Wales opened the Collector Earl’s Garden.

This garden was conceived as a tribute to Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel known as The Collector – he was acknowledged to be one of the great English art collectors of the 17th century. Designed to evoke a Jacobean formal garden, it features courts, a domed pergola and a centre canal pond.

The castle itself was built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel, and has been the seat of the Duke of Norfolk for more than 850 years.

The building as it is now owes much to Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917) and restoration was completed in 1900. It was one of the first English country houses to be fitted with electric light, integral fire fighting equipment, service lifts and central heating.

The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke and the title carries with it the hereditary office of Earl Marshal of England, responsible for all state ceremonial.

The grounds of Arundel Castle, together with the keep and gatehouse, have been open to the public since the turn of the 19th century, with the gardens open since 1854. Both castle and grounds now open seasonally from April to October.