Arundel Castle Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Arundel Castle (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Arundel Castle
Aerial panorama of the castle and its surroundings
General information
Location	Arundel, West Sussex
Country	England
Coordinates	50°51′22″N 0°33′13″W / 50.85611°N 0.55361°W / 50.85611; -0.55361
Owner	Duke of Norfolk


Listed Building – Grade I
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 way back in the 1000s.

The castle was damaged during the English Civil War. Later, Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, started fixing it up in the late 1700s and early 1800s. More work was done in the late 1800s by Charles Alban Buckler for the 15th Duke. For hundreds of years, Arundel Castle has been the main home for the Earls of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a very important historic building.

Castle History: From Old Times to Today
The Collector's Earl Garden
Cricket at the Castle
Other Important Events
Filming Location
In Books
Gallery
See also

Castle History: From Old Times to Today

Arms of the Duke of Norfolk

The first castle built here was a motte-and-bailey castle. This means it had a big mound of earth (the motte) with a tower on top. It also had a walled area (the bailey) below.

Building the First Castle

Roger de Montgomery was given the land for Arundel Castle by William the Conqueror. Roger was William's cousin. He stayed in Normandy to keep peace while William was in England. As a reward, he received a lot of land, including one-fifth of Sussex. Roger started building Arundel Castle around 1067. He was named the first Earl of Arundel.

Changes Over the Years

In 1101 and 1102, the castle was attacked by King Henry I. This happened because the castle's owner, Robert of Bellême, rebelled against the king. The castle gave up to the king.

Later, the castle went to Adeliza of Louvain. She had been married to King Henry I. She then married William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel. In 1139, Empress Matilda stayed at the castle. The castle stayed in the d'Aubigny family until 1243. Then, John Fitzalan inherited it. He was later considered the Earl of Arundel.

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.

The English Civil War and Beyond

In 1643, during the First English Civil War, the castle was attacked. About 800 royalist soldiers inside gave up after 18 days. In 1653, Parliament ordered the castle to be partly destroyed. However, bad weather probably caused more damage than the order.

Even though the Howard family owned the castle for many years, it wasn't always their main home. They spent more time and money on other family estates.

Restoring the Castle

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, started a big restoration project in 1787. He was known for his work on the castle. 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. They stayed 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.

This picture was published in 1880. The castle's improvements were not yet finished.

After the royal visit, the 15th Duke started rebuilding the castle again. This work happened from 1875 to 1905. It was designed by Charles Alban Buckler.

The 16th Duke had planned to give the castle to the National Trust. But after he died in 1975, the 17th Duke changed this plan. He created a special charity to make sure the castle would be safe for the future. He also oversaw more restoration work.

Beautiful Gardens

By early 2020, the castle's gardens had been greatly improved. This was thanks to the head gardener, Martin Duncan, and his team. Martin Duncan has worked at the castle since 2009. In 2018, he received a special award for his work. A report from April 2020 said the gardeners have done "wonders" with their "bold and innovative plantings." Their most recent project was a wild water garden around the old friary ponds.

The Collector's Earl Garden

The dancing crown fountain inside Oberon’s Palace at Collector Earl’s Garden, Arundel Castle

This special 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, the 14th Earl of Arundel. He was known as ‘The Collector’ because he loved to collect art.

The main part of the garden is Oberon's Palace. This is a pavilion with a grotto made of shells. It also has a fountain. When the water shoots up, it holds a golden crown in the air.

Cricket at the Castle

Since 1895, the cricket field on the castle grounds has hosted many matches. Teams from local youth groups to international sides have played there.

Other Important Events

In 1651, Captain Morley, who held the castle for Parliament, almost caught Charles II. Charles II was running away after a royalist defeat. His group managed to avoid Morley's group by pretending to walk down a hill. This let Morley's group ride past them.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited 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, the castle was broken into. Some very old and special items were stolen. These included gold rosary beads that belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots. She carried them to her death in 1587. Other items taken were special cups given by kings and queens.

Filming Location

Arundel Castle has been used in 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 also used in the 2017 movie Wonder Woman.

In Books

In Thomas Malory's famous book Morte D'Arthur, Arundel Castle is the home of Anglides. She is the mother of a character named Alisander le Orphelin.