Arundel

Arundel is a tiny market town 49 miles from London near the sea on the South Coast of England.

Arundel Castle, which regularly hosts exciting jousting and days of historical interest for all the family, is a wonderful place to visit with tours around the castle and beautiful walled gardens. There is a museum by the main entrance to the Castle and the imposing Arundel Cathedral to visit.

Whether you just enjoy a gentle stroll or are a seasoned hiker there are breath-taking walks through Arundel Park which begin at the top the hill in town and go on for miles over the South Downs.

At Swanbourne Lake, Mill Lane, you can hire rowing boats or visit the Arundel Wetland Centre which has a multitude of bird wildlife. There is also mini golf in Mill Road near the Castle main gates, bowling and tennis. If you enjoy swimming the Lido is on Queen Street or for riding Arundel Riding Centre is in Park Place. Boat trips are held from by the bridge in Mill Lane or you can just sit in one of the cafes overlooking the water and watch the world go by.

Arundel has some wonderful festivals including vibrant Arundel Festival and Art Trail in August and the romantic Arundel by Candlelight in December.

Arundel is very small and intimate: you don’t even need to get in the car as nowhere in town is further than about 10 minutes walk! There are fantastic antique shops all over town and many restaurants, cafes and one-off boutiques.

AROUND ARUNDEL

If you are looking for a little culture Petworth Park is home to the National Trust’s finest art collection and a vast deerpark landscaped by Capability Brown. There are Roman villas at Bignor and Fishbourne or the Weald & Downland Outdoor Museum which has historic houses and buildings from 13th Century to Victorian times for you to explore. For the more mechanically minded Amberley Working Museum is a great step back through time.

Goodwood is a huge draw to the area and their special events include Glorious Goodwood, The Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. Fontwell Racecourse is even closer for regular race meetings.

For afternoon/evening entertainment Chichester Festival Theatre and the Minerva Theatre has a wealth of highly acclaimed plays. In Portsmouth there is a huge historic dockyard where you can go aboard old warships and ships dating back to 16th Century. From Portsmouth you can also take a hovercraft over to the Isle of Wight. For a great day out shopping and to soak up the atmosphere Brighton is a large and vibrant town.

There are many beaches in the area if you are looking for a seaside break – the closest is Clymping approximately 10 minutes away by car but there is also West Beach, Littlehampton and Middleton to be visited. Most of the beaches in this area are part sand/stony but for miles of white sandy beach and sand dunes you can head up to West Wittering.

…..or you could do nothing at all – just kick back at one of our holiday cottages, with a newspaper and a glass of something long and cool ….bliss.

For more information on Arundel do look at the Visit Arundel website for local attractions and events: Visit Arundel