My Adventures 3: Arundel

On Monday the 13th July 2020 Pete and I drove to Arundel and parked up in Mill Road just past Swanbourne Lake where there is free parking. (Make sure you are parked correctly as there was tickets being issued by a warden!).

We walked a short way back up the road and walked beside Swanbourne Lake.

GPX File Here
Viewranger File here

Swanbourne Lodge Tearooms can offer hot and cold snacks and meals for refreshment and rowing boat hire is available daily during the months of March until October (weather permitting).

Swanbourne Lodge

Swanbourne Lake lies in the lower part of a deep steep-sided valley or coombe that has been eroded into the chalk bedrock. The valley starts at the crest of the Downs and ends in the flood plain of the River Arun, which is underlain by soft alluvial clay and peat. In its natural state, the lower part of the valley would also have had alluvium and probably a stream fed from springs that emerged from the chalk. Damming of a stream in the valley, marked on maps as Pugh Dean Bottom, eventually created the lake that we see today with its overflow of a sparkling chalk stream we know as the Mill Stream. The whole area is rich with plants and wildlife such as local and exotic water birds, water rats, voles, bats and dragonflies. (With grateful thanks to David Shilston for this information.)

A mill pond is known to have existed on the site in the c11th prior to the Norman Conquest. Records tell us that in 1066 the mill pond powered a water mill which was valued at 40/- per annum. In 1340 the mill tithes bought in £3 and income from the mill supported the Priory (Next to St Nicholas Church), the castle Chaplain (In 1301) and the leper hospital of St. James which was located in the area now know as Park Bottom (In 1272).

It was recorded in 1595 that the pond was, ‘Too cold for fish in the summer but never too cold to freeze in winter’.

During the Civil War William Waller’s Parliamentarian troops entered Arundel from South Stoke along Mill lane and “beat down” the two earth works erected by the castle defenders. There is a very brief reference to the pond as a water source in 1644 during the Civil War noting that the pipes supplying water were cut by the Parliamentarians. The reference infers that there was a pumped supply from outside the castle to the besieged Royalist troops inside but no indication to the type of pump or how it was powered although it is likely that water would have been pumped to a cistern in the castle grounds from one of the springs at the south end of the pond.

We are now walking through Arundel Park.

Arundel Park is a 134-hectare (330-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Arundel in West Sussex.

This old deer park on the chalk of the South Downs has an ancient artificial lake, Swanbourne Lake. The site is described by Natural England as one of the most important sites in the country for invertebrates. There are fifteen endangered species, including the field cricket Gryllus campestris and the beetle Laemophloeus monilis. Another rarity is the mollusc Pseudamnicola confusa, common name the '"swollen spire snail". There is also a diverse breeding bird community.

A glimpse of Hiorne Tower.

We climb our first hill of the day, this gets the heart pumping a bit.

View to Duchess Lodge

Lodge and attached gate piers. Designed by J A Hansom in 1878 in Tudor Gothic style.

We pause for a while in the shade of the trees out of the blazing sun.

There are superb views across the South Downs National Park.

We walk downhill and soon walking through South Wood, a mix of deciduous and pine trees.

We lose our path shortly afterwards and we are walking through long grass with no visible path.

We now have a short sharp uphill climb!

We pass Blue Doors, a 6 bedroom amazing house! Last sold in 2012 for just over 1.5 million Christ knows how much its worth now!

Another hill to climb.

Looking back down to Blue Doors.

View down to the River Arun.

The River Arun is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At 37 miles (60 km) long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small streams that form its source in the area of St Leonard's Forest in the Weald, the Arun flows westwards through Horsham to Nowhurst where it is joined by the North River. Turning to the south, it is joined by its main tributary, the western River Rother, and continues through a gap in the South Downs to Arundel to join the English Channel at Littlehampton. It is one of the faster flowing rivers in England, and is tidal as far inland as Pallingham Quay, 25.5 miles (41.0 km) upstream from the sea at Littlehampton. The Arun gives its name to the Arun local government district of West Sussex.

We walk out past a old house at the entrance to Arundel park.

We walk down a road towards Offham and then take a road down to the river.

We reach the River and The Black Rabbit pub, yeah a nice pint!!

Outside by the river was the Landlord who tells us the pub is closed! Looking at my watch its just past 12pm. We ask when are you open? thinking it can't be long only to be told Wednesday! We'll not waiting that long we said and make our way back along the river. Shame it was a Badger Brewery pub too!

We walk along the River Arun along a uneven and harsh path.

View from the River to Arundel Castle.

We take a path that leads us out onto Mill Road.
We stop for lunch outside Arundel Castle on a broken bench.

There are nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel.

The oldest feature is the motte, an artificial mound, over 100 feet high from the dry moat, and constructed in 1068: followed by the gatehouse in 1070. Under his will, King Henry I (1068-1135) settled the Castle and lands in dower on his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain. Three years after his death she married William d'Albini II, who built the stone shell keep on the motte. King Henry II (1133-89), who built much of the oldest part of the stone Castle, in 1155 confirmed William d'Albini II as Earl of Arundel, with the Honour and Castle of Arundel.

Apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day, carried by female heiresses from the d'Albinis to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and then from the Fitzalans to the Howards in the 16th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years. From the 15th to the 17th centuries the Howards were at the forefront of English history, from the Wars of the Roses, through the Tudor period to the Civil War.

Among the famous members of the Howard family are the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524), the victor of Flodden, Lord Howard of Effingham, who with Sir Francis Drake repelled the Armada in 1588, the Earl of Surrey, the Tudor poet and courtier, and the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom became wives of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

These were politically dangerous times: the 'Poet' Earl was executed in 1547; his father, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk only escaped the death penalty because King Henry VIII died the night before the execution was due and the 4th Duke (1536-72) was beheaded for plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots. There have been two cardinals and a saint in the Howard family; St Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel (1557-95) died in the Tower of London for his faith. By contrast, his son, the 'Collector' 14th Earl (1585-1646), as his nickname suggests, was responsible for many of the treasures which can be seen today.

During the Civil War (1642-45), the Castle was badly damaged when it was twice besieged, first by Royalists who took control, then by Cromwell's Parliamentarian force led by William Waller. Nothing was done to rectify the damage until about 1718 when Thomas, the 8th Duke of Norfolk (1683-1732) carried out some repairs. Charles Howard, the 11th Duke (1746-1815), known to posterity as the 'Drunken Duke' and friend of the Prince Regent subsequently carried out further restoration.

Queen Victoria (1819-1901) came from Osborne House with her husband, Prince Albert, for three days in 1846, for which the bedroom and library furniture were specially commissioned and made by a leading London furniture designer. Her portrait by William Fowler was also specially commissioned by the 13th Duke in 1843.

The building we see now owes much to Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917) and the restoration project was completed in 1900. It was one of the first English country houses to be fitted with electric light, integral fire fighting equipment, service lifts and central heating. The gravity fed domestic water supply also supplied the town. Electricity cost over £36,000 to install, but the splendidly carved chimneypiece in the Drawing Room only cost £150!

We walk across the bridge to get a view and we see a man fishing a bike out of the river, he had been magnet fishing.

We cross back over the bridge and into the town.

The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Although smaller in population than most other parishes, Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much larger Chichester in its number of listed buildings in West Sussex. The River Arun runs through the eastern side of the town.

Arundel was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. From 1836 to 1889 the town had its own Borough police force with a strength of three. In 1974 it became part of the Arun district, and is now a civil parish with a town council.

The name comes from Old English Harhunedell, "valley of horehound", and is first recorded in the Domesday Book. Folk etymology, however, connects the name with the Old French word arondelle "swallow", a diminutive form of arunde or aronde, and swallows appear on the town's arms.

Arundel town is a major bridging point over the River Arun as it was the lowest road bridge until the opening of the Littlehampton swing bridge in 1908. Arundel Castle was built by the Normans to protect that vulnerable fairly wooded plain to the north of the valley through the South Downs. The town later grew up on the slope below the castle to the south. The river was previously called the Tarrant and was renamed after the town by antiquarians in a back-formation.

Pete in a bookshop.

Arundel is home to Arundel Castle, seat of the Duke of Norfolk; and to Arundel Cathedral, seat of the (Catholic) Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

On 6 July 2004, Arundel was granted Fairtrade Town status.

People born in Arundel are known locally as Mullets, due to the presence of mullet in the River Arun.

Arundel is home to one of the oldest Scout Groups in the world. 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel's Own) Scout Group was formed in 1908 only a few weeks after Scouting began. Based in an HQ in Green Lane Close, it has active sections of Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts.

Arundel War Memrial

We stop for a pint in The Eagle Pub on Tarrant Street before walking on through the town.

We walk up Maltravers Street past the Town Hall.

Town Hall

Next we walk up Cut Street and up to the Castle again.

We walk up London Road past some churches.

Arundel Cathedral

We now reach Arundel Cathedral.

An elaborate building in Arundel Gardens.

Built astride a hill the Cathedral sits majestically, overlooking the ancient town of Arundel and stands out as an inspiring landmark in West Sussex. Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, was responsible for the commissioning of the present building in December 1868. The architect was Joseph Hansom, known principally for invention of the Hansom Cab, who had designed a variety of Catholic churches, convents and other buildings.

Construction began in late 1869 in French Gothic style and was opened on 1 July 1873. Originally the church was dedicated to the sixteenth century Italian priest, St. Philip Neri (1515-1595). St. Philip’s was seen to be a parish church for the Catholic community of Arundel and the surrounding villages in the Diocese of Southwark. With Duke Henry’s devotion to St. Philip Neri, an altar was built with stained glass windows above showing scenes from his life as well as a statue.

With the new Diocese of Arundel and Brighton created in 1965 the church became a Cathedral, with the dedication changing to ‘Our Lady and St. Philip Neri.’ Subsequently in 1971, the remains of the martyred 13th Earl of Arundel, St. Philip Howard (1557-1595), were brought from the Fitzalan Chapel in the grounds of Arundel Castle and enshrined in the Cathedral.

The Cathedral’s dedication finally changed in 1973 to ‘Our Lady and St. Philip Howard’. This followed the canonisation of Philip Howard together with 39 English and Welsh martyrs of the Reformation on 25 October 1970.

We walk on further up the road past a school and just a short way after we cross the road to walk back into Arundel Park.

We walk past the gatehouse into the park.

Hiorne Tower

The 1797 tower built by Francis Hiorne as he bid for the contract to rebuild the castle. Today, it stands alone in the landscape, a wonderful, purposeless folly. Hiorne never won the contract he desired, and he died two years later, but his Tower did achieve greatness. It went on to star in Doctor Who 1988 Silver Nemesis episode.

Hiorne Tower situated in Arundel Park which is near the famous Arundel Castle. It is a fine example of a folly and noted for its triangular construction. It was built by the architect Francis Hiorne for the Duke of Norfolk in the late 18th century. A young girl's ghost tells her story.

Ghost story: I loved him so much. I know I was young but my heart told me that this was the only man I would ever love. One day he told me it was over and I was devastated. People told me I would get over it and find someone else. But I knew my life was over. I went to the tower, climbed to the top and threw myself off.

Sometimes, in the evening, you can see me on the top of the tower looking out over the park, searching for my love.