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Market town in West Sussex, England
Photo: Farwestern Photo by Gregg M. Erickson, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Arundel is a town in West Sussex in southeast England, with a population in 2021 of about 3500. Its main attraction is the medieval castle.
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Built from 1067, damaged after the Civil War but relentlessly rebuilt and re-imagined over the 19th century (when Queen Victoria stayed), this is a picturesque castle often used as a film and TV location. The courtyard hosts jousting, medieval combat and open-air Shakespeare. The extensive gardens were refurbished in 2020.
Cramped but interesting display of local history from Roman times to the present, including clock-making, horse-racing, the railways and children's experiences.
Anglican church built from 1380 in local flint and stone. It's on the castle grounds and adjoins their RC Fitzalan Chapel.
Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard
Completed in 1873 as a Roman Catholic parish church, and since 1965 a cathedral, seat of the RC Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. It's neo-Gothic and designed by Joseph Hansom (1803-1882), architect for over 200 churches as well as inventor of the Hansom cab. There is Mass Tu-Su and frequent concerts.
Industrial heritage centre around a disused chalk quarry and kilns, which produced lime for construction. It has a 1930s telephone exchange, vintage Southdown buses, narrow-gauge steam railway and traditional craftsmen.
Villa from about 3rd century AD with extensive mosaics.
Heated outdoor 25m pool plus paddling pool. They also hold fitness sessions year-round.
Wetland Centre
Wetland wildlife park with walks, talks and a variety of native and exotic species with a boat safari included. Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The Lodge tea room is open daily year-round in all weathers, but the thing to do here is to hire a rowing boat and plosh around the lake. Weather permitting these are available Apr-Sept, Sa Su in term-time and daily Jul-Aug. Small dogs permitted if they promise not to catch a crab.
Rainbow and brown trout fly fishery and farm in woodland valley, pre-booking recommended. The waters are chalk-filtered and clear so you can see the fish - and they can see you. No dogs.
Slick Italian with a good menu range.
Good Thai restaurant by the castle walls.
This multi-level Chinese restaurant usually gets it right.
Fine dining in a chic setting, booking essential.
Serves excellent British and European cuisine.
Pleasant pub and restaurant by the Arun, a good end to a riverside walk.
Great place for pub lunches, dog-friendly. The village is on an old loop of the River Arun and has a Saxon church. Mervyn Peake (1911-1968) stayed hereabouts as he was writing Gormenghast.
The Pig are a small chain of restaurants with rooms. The dining is worth the extra miles to get here, the ingredients have travelled less. The rooms get mixed reviews, especially the hen cabin.
Friendly pub with food, live music at weekends.
Claims to be Arundel's oldest pub, from 1625. Traditional free house pub with real ales - no food but you're welcome to bring your own.
Trad English pub with local food, ales and a beer garden
A traditional pub with food and drink, plus a few B&B rooms.
Friendly place with real ale but no food.
Restaurant with five rooms in a Regency town house gets great reviews for comfort and cuisine. Assistance dogs only.
Restaurant and bar with 33 rooms, comfy and central. Older rooms in the servants' attic are small, low-ceilinged and have no lift.
Trad pub (Fullers) and restaurant with 14 rooms, good reviews.
Smart friendly guesthouse.
Convenient budget hotel refurbished in 2020.
Budget chain hotel half a mile east of station, no air con but clean and value-for-money.
Hotel with 53 en-suite rooms, clean and comfy though a bit dated. It shares a driveway with McDonald's, so you may get stuck in the queue for burgers.
The castle was built in the 12th century and was the residence of the bishops of Chichester. It was smashed up in the Civil War, restored in the 19th century and is now a plush hotel with 19 rooms. It's often used for wedding parties.
All aboard! The railway station was built to take the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) to his amusements, and today two rooms are within the station and 8 in Pullman coaches (not suitable with impaired mobility). No children under 10 or dogs.
The early Victorian Trinity Chapel is now a marketplace for antique and other independent traders.
Stagecoach South Bus 9 runs hourly from Shoreham-by-Sea via Lancing, Worthing, Durrington, Angmering and Littlehampton to Arundel railway station and town.
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