Summary

A Grade I listed restored and remodelled medieval castle at Arundel in West Sussex, founded around 1067 by Roger de Montgomery, 1st Earl of Arundel; continuously held by the Earls of Arundel and Dukes of Norfolk since the 11th century; substantially restored by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk from 1787 and then by Charles Alban Buckler for the 15th Duke between 1875 and 1905; comprising a Norman motte with 12th-century shell keep, a great hall range, the Fitzalan Chapel (still used for Roman Catholic worship), private apartments, and extensive gardens; owned by the Duke of Norfolk (Howard family); used as a filming location for Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis (BBC, 1988), The Madness of King George (1994), The Young Victoria (2009), and Wonder Woman (2017).

About this location

Arundel Castle stands in the town of Arundel in West Sussex, rising above the River Arun on a ridge commanding the coastal plain. Roger de Montgomery, a cousin of William the Conqueror who had stayed in Normandy to govern while the Conqueror was in England, was rewarded with extensive Sussex lands and began work on the castle around 1067. His original structure was a motte-and-bailey castle; the motte remains at the centre of the present complex and supports a 12th-century circular shell keep.

The castle passed through several Norman families before coming to John FitzAlan in the 13th century. In 1555, Mary FitzAlan, daughter and heiress of Henry FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel, married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, and from that point the castle has remained in Howard family hands. During the First English Civil War in 1643, the 800 Royalists inside surrendered after an 18-day siege; Parliament subsequently ordered the slighting of the castle, though decay from neglect proved equally destructive.

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, began the castle’s restoration in 1787, rebuilding significant ranges in the Gothic Revival style. The 13th Duke undertook further remodelling for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1846, when a suite of six rooms was added. The most comprehensive programme was carried out for the 15th Duke from 1875 to 1905, when Charles Alban Buckler redesigned much of the castle, rebuilding the great hall, the ons’ hall, and the principal residential ranges in Decorated Gothic style, creating what is largely the present external appearance. The Fitzalan Chapel, built by the Fitzalan earls in the 14th century, stands adjacent to the collegiate parish church and is still used for Catholic worship by the Howard family; it is separated from the Protestant nave by an iron grille.

The Collector’s Earl Garden, designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman and opened in 2008 as a tribute to Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel (“The Collector Earl”), contains a shellwork grotto and an Oberon’s Palace pavilion. The castle also include a cricket field which since 1895 has hosted matches from local youth sides to international touring teams.

The castle has been used as a stand-in for Windsor Castle in film and television productions. Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis (BBC One, 1988, Season 25, written by Kevin Clarke, starring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor) filmed extensively at the castle, using it to represent Windsor Castle. The Madness of King George (Goldwyn/Channel 4/BBC, 1994, directed by Nicholas Hytner, starring Nigel Hawthorne as George III and Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte, adapted from Alan Bennett’s stage play) again used Arundel as Windsor. The Young Victoria (GK Films, 2009, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, starring Emily Blunt as Victoria and Rupert Friend as Prince Albert) filmed sequences at the castle. Wonder Woman (Warner Bros./DC Films, 2017, directed by Patty Jenkins, starring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince and Chris Pine, the World War I-set superhero film) used Arundel Castle as a location.