Writing this blog post is long overdue, especially so as it's been nearly two months(!) since we visited Arundel Castle, but I'm determined to share this post, mostly because I just have to document how special and beautiful Arundel castle is! I've been to a few castles and as a castle and history lover, I love them all, but Arundel Castle really did take my breath away. It's a 'proper' castle and it's majesty just towers over you in so many ways!
Adam and I visited in April when the boys were staying with their grandparents and we had the nicest few hours just wandering about taking everything in. The amount of times Adam and I both said 'Wow!' must have been over 200, it's just a completely amazing place where it is clear that there has been so much money and time invested in to it.
Arundel Castle is a restored medieval castle in West Sussex and it was first established in 1067 back when William the Conqueror was alive! The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the seat of the Earl of Arundel - the 18th Duke Of Norfolk and he and his wife currently live in part of the castle, they also raised their children there (they must have had such a fun time running around the grounds and inside the many rooms of the castle as children!).
The grounds of the castle are as stunning as the decor inside of the castle, especially so when we visited and all of the beautiful tulips were in bloom! There are so many beautiful parts to see in the gardens including the view of the breathtaking Arundel Cathedral which is so stunning in it's architecture that it almost doesn't look real! If you visit, I totally recommend spending lots of time roaming the outdoor space as you won't be disappointed. There's lots of lovely nooks to sit in to just to sit and take it all in at your own pace. You can also pick up a cup of tea and a brownie like we did from a little stand in the gardens.
Inside, Arundel Castle just carries on 'wow'ing'. The amount of riches inside Arundel Castle must be absolutely impossible to value - there's so much to look at and to see and everything feels like it's on a grander scale than any other castle I've seen before. My personal favourite 'Wow!' parts were the library and the chapel. But honestly, it's all pretty incredible!
Look at the pages of this super old book!
I also recommend visiting Arundel town if you haven't ever been to Arundel, it's within walking distance and there are lots of lovely shops and restaurants to visit. Adam and I really enjoyed wandering around the many antique shops and then we had dinner in an Italian restaurant called La Campania, which was really nice.
In regards to parking, we found it no problem to park in the town and also to park opposite Arundel Castle itself. The car park doesn't belong to Arundel Castle, but it's so close - you simply just have to walk across the road and you're there!
If you haven't visited Arundel Castle before, then definitely add it your list of places to visit in the UK. My mother in law had been telling me about it for years and suggesting we visit and now after having visited myself, I can totally see why!
Thank you for reading.
Alex xo
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