ARUNDEL CASTLE

'Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries.

From the 11th century onward, the castle has served as a hereditary stately home and has been in the family of the Duke of Norfolk for over 400 years. It is still the principal seat of the Norfolk family. It is a Grade I listed building.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Castle


'Set in 40 acres of sweeping grounds and gardens, Arundel Castle has been open to visitors seasonally for nearly 200 years. It is one of the great treasure houses of
England, each having its own unique place in history and is home to priceless works of art.  www.arundelcastle.org/_pages/03_visitor_info.htm.  

Work started on Arundel Castle in 1067 during the reign of William the Conqueror as a fortification for the mouth of the River Arun and a defensive position for the surrounding land against invasion from France.  The original structure was a motte and double bailey castle. Roger de Montgomery was declared the first Earl of Arundel as the King granted him the property as part of a much larger package of hundreds of manors. Roger was a cousin of William's and had stayed in Normandy to keep the peace there whilst William was off in England. He was rewarded for his loyalty with extensive lands in the Welsh Marches and across the country, together with one fifth of Sussex... (For other reasons, the generally accepted first creation of the title Earl of Arundel lies in the year 1138 with William d'Aubigny, confirmed in 1155.) 

After Roger de Montgomery died, the castle reverted to the crown under Henry I. The King, in his will, left Arundel Castle and the attached land to his second wife Adeliza of Louvain. In 1138, three years after Henry's death, she married William d'Albini II (aka d'Aubigny, the first Earl, of the d'Aubigny family of Saint-Martin-d'Aubigny in Normandy). William was responsible for creating the stone shell on the motte, thus increasing the defence and status of the castle.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Castle.

Enhancements to the Victorian gardens in the last 100 years have added to the castle's appeal, largely due to the current Duke and Duchess of Norfolk's imaginative creations. There is also a Jacobean garden designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman (www.hanhamcourt.co.uk) along the lines of an earlier Duke's garden in London. 

Inspiration was also drawn from a portrait of the Countess of Arundel by Mytens, which shows gardens in the background, including a domed pergola and fountain. 


Other garden features such as gateways and pavilions reflect the influence of Inigo Jones.

According to the official Arundel Castle website, the central feature represents a mountain with palms and ferns.  The surrounding area includes a green oak structure described as "Oberon's Palace', referring to a design by Inigo Jones in 1611 - the grotto behind the palm trees.  Oberon's Palace is lined with shells and contains a fountain, which supports a coronet that rises and falls with the flow of the water. www.arundelcastle.org/_pages/02_gardens.htm 

The Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard is clearly seen from the grounds of Arundel Castle. 'Dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel, it was not designated a cathedral until the foundation of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton in 1965. 

The cathedral's location, construction, design, and dedication owe much to the Howard family, who, as Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel are the most prominent English Catholic family, and rank first (below the royal family) in the Peerage of England. 
In 1868, forty years after the foundation of Roman Catholic parishes became again legal, Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk commissioned architect Joseph Hansom to design a new Roman Catholic sanctuary as a suitable counterpart to Arundel Castle. 

The architectural style of the cathedral is French Gothic, a style that would have been popular between 1300 and 1400—the period in which the Howards and the Dukes of Norfolk rose to national prominence in England. The building is Grade I listed, and regarded as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the country.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Cathedral

More of the Jacobean garden - two wooden doors flank the central area.


'The 16th Duke had planned to give the castle to the National Trust but following his death in 1975 the 17th Duke cancelled the plan. 
He created an independent charitable trust to guarantee the castle's future as an economically viable residence, and oversaw restorative works. Today the castle remains the principal seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, the dukedom currently being held by the 18th Duke, the Earl Marshal of England. Most of the castle and its extensive grounds are open to the public.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel_Castle