Arundel Castle, located in Sussex, was built in 1068 by Norman invader Roger de Montgomery. It passed through various owners, including the Howard family, and was damaged in the English Civil War. The castle is now a popular tourist destination with gardens and artefacts on display.
Arundel Castle is a listed building located in the southern English county of Sussex. The castle was originally built of wood in 1068 and its first occupant and owner was a Norman invader named Roger de Montgomery. For several centuries, the castle and surrounding grounds have belonged to the Duke of Norfolk and like many old English castles, Arundel is a popular tourist destination.
When its original owner died, English escheat laws meant that title to the castle passed to the reigning monarch King Henry I. He gave the house to Adeliza of Louvain, the king’s second wife; after her death she remarried and her new husband Guglielmo d’Albini II took up residence in her house. Within a few years the castle was fortified with stone walls and in 1155 King Henry II officially named the building Arundel Castle. Since the days of the d’Albini, the castle has belonged to the family of the Duke of Norfolk although it passed into state control on occasions when the seat of the Dukedom was vacant.
In the 1400s, the powerful Howard family assumed the Dukedom of Norfolk and control of Arundel Castle. Prominent members of Clan Howard included Lord Howard of Effingham who fought against the Spanish Armada and the 3rd Duke of Norfolk who was closely related to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard who were both married to the English monarch Henry VIII. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War but was restored to its former glory during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Arundel Castle is surrounded by gardens containing floral displays, fountains and an organic outdoor kitchen. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the garden area was much larger, but part of the gardens were redeveloped to make way for a car park after the end of the Second World War. Three decades later, the Duke of Norfolk’s family began work to reinvigorate the area and the gardens are now themed to reflect the styles favored by some of the castle’s former residents.
The castle first opened its doors to tourists in the 19th century, although like many inhabited historic buildings, it is typically only open seasonally. The artefacts on display within the castle include a portrait of Queen Victoria who once visited Arundel Castle. In addition, several personal items that belonged to the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots, who was executed at the behest of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century, are also on display.
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