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Other former inns or beerhouses in the town include the Wheatsheaf in Maltravers Street,
previously the Sundial (fl. 1785; closed c. 1932); the Victory in King Street (apparently built shortly before 1829; closed 1974); the Gardeners Arms in Mill Lane (fl. c. 1841–50); and the Jolly Sailor in River Road, which evidently served mariners (fl. 1910; closed c. 1933).
- Other inns in High Street which survived in 1990 were the Red Lion,
perhaps recorded from 1658, and the Swan, previously the Ship,
recorded from 1759 and rebuilt in the mid 19th century. Between
the early 1830s and the 1850s the Swan was the chief place of call for
carriers; both inns catered for cyclists in the later 19th century or earlier 20th.
- The town’s steep streets, full of antique shops, huddle beneath the walls of Arundel Castle, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk. Some parts of the castle date from the 1070’s but it is largely late 19th century (only then was restoration completed following a siege by Oliver Cromwell in 1643)
- The Doomsday Book in 1086 Arundel had become a flourishing market town. However it would seem tiny to us. It only had a population of a few hundred but towns were very small in those days.
- Arundel was also an important market town for the area. In 1285 Arundel was also granted an annual fair. In the middle Ages fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year. The Arundel fair attracted buyers and sellers from a wide area.
- In the mid 13th century Dominican friars came to Arundel. The friars were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach. Dominican friars were called black friars because of the colour of their costumes.
- Arundel Castle was extensively rebuilt in the years 1890-1903. The port of Arundel finally came to an end in the early 20th century. Furthermore Arundel's markets and fairs came ended in the early 20th century. Today Arundel is a popular tourist destination famous for its Georgian buildings.
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The original dwelling was a wooden keep built on the motte, or hill, in 1138. The sturdy fort was expanded by successive generations of the d'Albini family to become the second largest castle in the UK. The castle towers 100 feet above its 40-acre grounds, overlooking the River Arun and the town of Arundel.
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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.
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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). 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.
- 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!
- Arundel Castle is now the home of The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and their children. The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke, the title having been conferred on Sir John Howard in 1483 by his friend King Richard III.
- Founded in 1390 by the 4th Earl of Arundel and situated in the grounds of Arundel Castle, the Fitzalan Chapel is still the burial place of the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a fine example of Gothic architecture with a carved timber roof and choir stalls. The carved stone tombs are of major artistic interest. In 1879 it was determined that the Chapel did not form part of the Protestant parish church but was an independent ecclesiastical structure and therefore remains Catholic. A glass wall now divides the Chapel from the parish church; an unusual, if not unique, anomaly in England.
- The parish church of St Nicholas in Arundel was built in the late 14th century.
- There are many examples of churches being used in different ways during the civil war. Churches could play a role in urban warfare. For example, in the closing days of 1643 Sir William Waller captured the town of Arundel, West Sussex, and occupied St Nicholas’s church in order to use the tower as a vantage point from which to bombard Arundel castle. The operation was successful, for in early January the royalist garrison surrendered the damaged fortress.
- A new Catholic church was built in Arundel in 1873. It was designed by Joseph Hansom, the same man who invented the hansom cab and it was dedicated to Our Lady and St Philip. In 1965 it was made a cathedral.
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