We travelled from Worthing by train changing at Ford. From the station approach we walked along a pleasant country footpath for part of the way. The small town was dominated by the ancient Arundel Castle, which sits on a hill. It was built originally in 1067 but was almost completely rebuilt in Victorian times. We didn’t actually go into the castle as it would have cost us £40 and we decided that there was not enough time at our disposal in order to see it all properly. Arundel does have a feudal feel to it, probably because the Howard family the Dukes of Norfolk/Earls of Arundel have owned the castle for over 400 years.
Instead we explored the town itself, browsed the little shops and had tea and cakes in the Motte & Bailey cafe on the High Street. Then we walked up the hill to the Catholic Cathedral built in 1850. It is a magnificent building and inside was the moving “There but not There” tribute to the fallen of the Great War. The original pre-reformation parish church is the Fitzalan Chapel still stands within the castle grounds. On the wall of the castle was a giant Moustache – apparently, it’s been there since the International Beard & Moustache festival. There was the Arundel Museum a modern building, which we did not bother to see around, except for its small art gallery. So, a charming little town steeped in history.
