Andrew Kay: A rich past

In the 25 years I have lived in Sussex I have successfully managed to not look around the magnificent pile that is Arundel Castle. I have no idea why, I seem to have spent my life wandering around heritage sites both here in the UK and abroad and I do enjoy them on the whole.

Arundel Castle was having a special Bank Holiday weekend and a few of us media types were invited along to join in the fun. The castle is pretty amazing, built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years.

The earliest part of the castle is in extraordinary fine shape but it is the later Victorian restoration which was completed in 1900 that has the real wow factor with great halls, a superb library that looks like a film set and, if you pay a little more, some fascinating bedrooms, most of which are still in use by the family.

In opening to the public the family have managed the near impossible and shunned a vulgar commercial approach. There is little evidence of a hard sell, the café is tucked away as is the gift shop and a tour around the castle is a relaxed and fascinating experience.

“The gardens are a revelation, a credit to the forward thinking of the resident family who have invested in a future rather than sitting in the past”

But it was outside in the gardens that my imagination was fully captured. A truly beautiful experience on a very rare summery day. The Collector Earl’s Garden was open in 2008 by HRH Prince Charles and replaces what had for many years been a tarmac carpark. It is an inspirational space filled with whimsical and innovative horticultural ideas. Wooden temples, gardens filled with upturned tree stumps, clever use of colour, light and shade and the soft tinkle of water here and there. I could have spent hours there simply soaking up the calm and enjoying the intelligent design.

Sadly I wasted an hour watching a display of ancient artillery. From the earliest of fire arms onward we were given a blow by blow account of how they worked and the damage they could do. It was, I suppose educational on one level, if you are fascinated by death and destruction, but for me it lacked any balance. I so wanted the gathered families to be made aware of the horrific nature of what this arsenal of fire power could do. The misery and suffering surely should play a part rather than just the gore and glory.

I’m not for hiding away the reality of the battlefield but I am for portraying it in a way that does not inspire children to fight or see something good in bloody warmongering.

That aside, Arundel Castle is a real jewel, filled with gems, furniture, paintings, sculpture – history in its many forms. And the gardens are a revelation, a credit to the forward thinking of the resident family who have invested in a future rather than sitting in the past.

I didn’t bother with the zoo I’m afraid, not my kind of thing, but I loved the vegetable and flower gardens, looking at them with envy as I thought of my barren terrace where nothing seems to survive the dark and the dank. How I crave beds of broad beans, tomato vines and luscious herbs to cook with and flowers in quantities enough to cut.

We stayed for about four hours too, which, with a top price ticket, made for good value and gave us acess to all that is open to the public. For some of the time I wandered around imagining what it must be like to live in such a historic pile. Wonderful I’m sure – but also pretty draughty too I can imagine. I envy them in part but I would not want the massive responsibility that must come with inheriting such an important building – no matter how beautiful it might be.
For details of what’s on and ticket prices visit www.arundelcastle.org