Arundel Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arundel Castle |
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Aerial panorama of the castle and its surroundings
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| General information | |
| Location | Arundel, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°51′22″N 0°33′13″W / 50.85611°N 0.55361°W |
| Owner | Duke of Norfolk |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 26 March 1949 |
| Reference no. | 1027926 |
Arundel Castle is an old castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It has been fixed up and changed over many years. Roger de Montgomery built the castle in the 11th century (around the 1000s).
The castle was damaged during the English Civil War in the 1600s. Later, it was restored in the 18th and early 19th centuries (the 1700s and early 1800s) by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk. More work was done from the 1890s by Charles Alban Buckler for the 15th Duke.
Since the 11th century, Arundel Castle has been the main home for the Earls of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic place.
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History of Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle started as a motte-and-bailey castle. This is a type of castle with a large earth mound (the motte) and a walled area (the bailey). Roger de Montgomery became the first Earl of Arundel. The King gave him the castle and many other lands. Roger was a cousin of William the Conqueror. He helped keep peace in Normandy while William was in England. Because he was loyal, he received a lot of land in England, including Arundel. He began building Arundel Castle around 1067.
Between 1101 and 1102, King Henry I's army attacked the castle. This happened because its owner, Robert of Bellême, rebelled against the King. The castle gave up to the King. After this, the castle went to Adeliza of Louvain. She had been married to King Henry I. Later, it passed to her husband, William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel.
In 1139, Empress Matilda stayed at the castle. The castle then stayed in the d'Aubigny family until Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel, died in 1243. Then, John Fitzalan inherited the castle.
The FitzAlan family line ended when Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, died. His daughter, Mary FitzAlan, married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, in 1555. The castle and the title then passed to their family, the Howards.
In 1643, during the First English Civil War, the castle was attacked again. About 800 royalist soldiers inside the castle gave up after 18 days. In 1653, the Parliament ordered the castle to be damaged on purpose. However, bad weather probably caused more damage than the order.
Even though the Howard family owned the castle for many centuries, it was not always their favorite home. The different Dukes of Norfolk spent their time and money improving other family homes. Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, started big restoration work on the castle in 1787. He also had a decorative building, called a folly, built on the hill above Swanbourne Lake.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, visited Arundel Castle for three days. Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, changed the inside of the castle for their visit. New furniture was designed for six rooms on the second floor.
After the Royal visit in 1846, the 15th Duke started rebuilding parts of the castle again. This work happened from 1875 to 1905. The 16th Duke had planned to give the castle to the National Trust. But after he died in 1975, the 17th Duke stopped that plan. He created a special charity to make sure the castle would be safe for the future. He also oversaw more restoration work.
The large gardens at the castle have been greatly improved since 2009. This is thanks to the head gardener, Martin Duncan, and his team. They have created beautiful and new plant designs. In 2020, a report said their work on a wild water garden around the ponds was wonderful.
The Collector's Earl Garden
The Collector's Earl Garden was designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman. It opened in 2008. Charles, who was then Prince of Wales, opened it. The garden honors Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, who was known as ‘The Collector’. The most important part of the garden is Oberon's Palace. This is a beautiful building with a grotto made of shells. It also has a fountain that makes a golden crown shape when the water shoots up.
Cricket at the Castle
Since 1895, the cricket field on the castle grounds has hosted many cricket matches. These games range from local youth teams to international teams.
Other Important Events
- On October 14, 1651, Captain Morley, who held the castle for Parliament, almost caught King Charles II. King Charles II was running away after a battle. He and his group managed to avoid Morley's group by pretending to get off their horses to walk down a hill. This made Morley's group ride past them.
- Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the castle in 1846.
- The Collector Earl's Garden was opened on May 14, 2008, by Charles, who was then Prince of Wales.
- On May 21, 2021, there was a break-in at the castle. Some very important historical items were stolen. These included "irreplaceable" gold rosary beads that Mary, Queen of Scots, carried to her execution in 1587. Other stolen items included special cups given by monarchs to the Earl Marshal.
Filming Location
Arundel Castle has been used as a place to film many TV shows and movies:
- In 1988, the BBC filmed parts of the Doctor Who show Silver Nemesis at the castle. It was used to look like Windsor Castle.
- It also looked like Windsor Castle in the 1994 movie The Madness of King George.
- Arundel Castle was also a location for the 2009 movie The Young Victoria.
- It was used in the 2017 movie Wonder Woman.
In Literature
In Thomas Malory's famous story Morte D'Arthur, Arundel Castle is the castle of Anglides. She is the mother of a character named Alisander le Orphelin.
Images for kids
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Arundel Castle and town in 1644
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Where old and new walls meet at Arundel Castle
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View of Arundel Castle's Norman motte with the quadrangle in front.
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The Courtyard at Arundel Castle
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This picture was published in 1880, before all the 19th-century changes were finished.
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See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Arundel para niños
- Arundel Museum, a museum close to the castle entrance
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in England
