Travels with CC and Dixie: Castle on the Hill

The castle and cathedral in Arundel sit atop a steep hill and can be glimpsed from the motorway. The town of Arundel is situated at the halfway point on our journey home to Dave’s in Crawley from Portsmouth. The market town was charming, with its shops and houses lining the curving, narrow streets which all lead to the Arun River. It draws tourists to its Medieval Arundel Castle and Gardens, Arundel Cathedral, Amberley Museum, Arundel Farmer’s Market and its pubs, restaurants and specialty shops.

We spent a few hours walking about the town, perusing the shops, purchasing some local beer, cheese and olives from the Farmer’s Market, appreciating the architectural details and signage, studying the gargoyles and carvings on the façade and interior of the Cathedral, all the while, people and dog watching. The day was a mix of sunshine, cool temperatures and rain showers. We were “forced” out of the rain three times, once for coffee, once for lunch and later for coffee and scones by the fire to warm up and dry out.

remains of the original market walls

beautiful flint stone adds a unique character to stone structures

can we go to the sausage samples booth next?

A few of Arundel’s charming shops and merchandise:

tiny tearoom where we had morning coffee

We did not go into the castle but walked around its gates and spent some time in the Cathedral and looking at homes instead.

Arundel Cathedral was built between 1868 and 1873 in the Gothic Revival style. It was dedicated as a Roman Catholic church in 1873.

the “holy light” streams through the stained glass windows

As we ate lunch, we heard some loud rumblings and deep throttled roars from the town’s centre. On our approach down the hill, we were met by a sea of bikers and their motorcycles; The Vikings and The Nordic Brotherhood were out in droves and transformed Arundel’s central square.