Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle

Visiting Arundel Castle feels more like a challenge than a pleasure. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere else that had as many rules & barriers as Arundel Castle provided. As soon as we’d parked in the pay & display car park near the castle, we were sternly warned by an elderly woman that if our car was not well within the lines of the space — if one of the tyres so much as touched one of the lines — we would be clamped & fined. Even on a Sunday. Or perhaps particularly on a Sunday.

As we approached the castle itself, we were approached by an employee, who asked us what kind of ticket we’d like to buy: Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Gold Plus. Each level allowed a different level of access to the castle & its grounds, & increased in price appropriately: £7, £8, £14, & £15. We opted for Gold Plus, deciding we’d want to see as much of the castle as possible — which, as it turned out, wasn’t much at all.

Arundel Castle is one of the best preserved castles in the UK, thanks to many restorations over the 1000+ years there’s been some kind of structure on the spot. It’s an imposing structure with extensive grounds & a separate chapel, & it’s still intact enough to be lived in: currently, the Duke & Duchess of Norfolk live there with their children. As a result, even buying a Gold Plus ticket allows only limited access to the castle, & many of the views from the top of the keep are boarded up & protected from view. This restriction, whilst entirely understandable, makes for a frustrating visit.

Worse, the near perfect condition of the castle makes it feel curiously modern & lacking in atmosphere. The oppressive hush in the rooms, coupled with electric candlelight & safety paint on the edges of ancient steps make it difficut to appreciate the history of the castle or enjoy any of the sights it has to offer, which is a shame because it’s a beautiful castle. Many of the interior rooms are intricately decorated, with original furniture & plenty of portraits to gawp at, but everything is roped off so that you can’t get close to any of it, or see it in any kind of detail. The bedrooms, in particular — which required a Gold Plus ticket to access — only allow visitors to poke their heads through the door & consequently don’t take much time at all to look around. Visitors can apply in advance for guided tours, but otherwise are left to wander around by themselves; guides are stationed in most of the rooms or corridors, but seem to be there mostly to make sure everyone’s adhering to the one-way system & keeping their grubby mitts away from the exhibits.

I came away from Arundel Castle feeling strangely flat. Even the gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside from the top of the keep failed to enliven the visit anywhere near enough to justify the over-inflated price of admission.

Last visited 12th July 2009

Open 4th April – 1st November 2009, Tuesday – Sundays, & bank holiday Mondays; 10am – 5pm
Adults £7 – £15; concessions £7 – £12.50
Tel: 01903 882173
Website; Google Maps ref