Kings and Dukes and Earls, oh my!
by Dabs
As an American, the British system of hereditary titles is extremely baffling not only because it is hard to understand the rules but really more because we don't understand why the general population still adheres to it. Arundel Castle is the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk which trace their lineage back to King Edward I. The 1st Duke of Norfolk was Thomas de Mowbray (1366-1399), the title was handed down to his heirs until the 4th Duke of Norfolk who had no heirs. In 1481, Richard of Shrewsbury was the one and only Duke from his side of the family and in 1483 the Howard family took the title by virtue of marriage to a female member of the Mowbray family at which point they started to renumber the Dukes starting with John Howard, the (third) 1st Duke of Norfolk (1425-1485).
Thomas Howard, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, is perhaps the most famous, he engineered two of the marriages to Henry VIII to his nieces, first with Anne Boleyn, Henry's 2nd wife who was beheaded after charges of adultery including various men including her brother. The 2nd marriage was to another one of his nieces, Catherine Howard who was Henry's 5th wife, more adultery, another beheading
The current owner of Arundel Castle is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk.
Blackfriars Abbey
by leffe3
Founded in the 13th century, dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIII, the ruins of the Dominican Blackfriars Abbey sit on the banks of the River Arun immediately below the castle and adjacent to the main Gatehouse entrance. At the time, its location – close to the castle, market and river port – would have been prime.
Nothing much remains – a few walls of local flint – as many original buildings were demolished (and probably used to build other buildings). The whole was formerly part of the estate of the Duke of Norfolk. They were presented to the town in 1935.
Whilst hardly a major attraction, the ruins are part and parcel of a day in Arundel.
The town itself
by leffe3
Small and compact, Arundel is a delightful little market town with 4 or 5 streets of particular interest to casual visitors - namely High, Tarrant and Maltravers along with connecting streets. Following the original medieval footprint, many of the buildings date from the 15th century onwards, although some are hidden behind facades of more recent renovation.
Antique shops, galleries, gift shops, tea rooms, cafes, restaurants, pubs, specialist food shops all line these streets and which will keep you occupied for several hours if so interested. Or, as we did, you can just potter, looking for a place for lunch after the visit to the castle.
Arundel
by nigelw6443
Arundel is a beautiful town on the banks of the river Arun. The town itself is small enough to walk around and has a number of pubs or little cafes where you can sit and have a cream tea.
There are many antique shops to look around and there is a wonderful castle and also a boating lake and a nature reserve.
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Arundel Cathedral
View from the Keep
Blackfriar Priory ruins
Arundel Castle
