The Fitzalan Chapel is the chancel of the church of St Nicholas in the western grounds of Arundel Castle.

The church of St Nicholas is one of the very few church buildings that is divided into two worship areas, a Roman Catholic area (the chancel) and an Anglican area (the nave and transepts). The chancel of the Fitzalan Chapel, is used as the private mausoleum of the Dukes of Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building.^[1]

Richard FitzAlan, 3rd Earl of Arundel, was responsible for the building of the Chapel posthumously according to his will. The original Fitzalan Chapel consisted of the entire building, and was built as the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in 1380 by commission of Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel, whose family owned Arundel Castle. It is an example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, and the architect and mason is believed to have been William Wynford. A number of noted Fitzalan and Howard family members are buried in the chapel, many in tombs adorned with sculpted effigies. Most of the recently deceased Dukes of Norfolk are buried there.^[2]

Straight after breakfast we walked the short way to Arundel Castle arriving 15 minutes before it opened. We took advantage of a nearby bench to soak up the early morning sunshine whilst we waited.

After purchasing our tickets, we walked around the gardens which included a new water garden that Mr C wasn’t very enamoured with. I thought it was lovely as were the rest of the gardens and features.

We also visited the Fitzalan Chapel which is the chancel of the church of St Nicholas. The chapel which has a peaceful atmosphere is divided from St Nicholas’ knave and transepts and contains tombs of the Howard family.

We completed our tour of the castle gardens just in time for lunch which we enjoyed in a window seat in the castle restaurant.

By the time we had finished lunch, the castle and keep were open. We made our way up the stairs to the rooftop of the keep. The stairways were every bit as narrow as I remembered them. This time I had sensibly used a small rucksack rather than a handbag (which I struggled with last time). I climbed the last few stairs using all four limbs (no hand rail to hold on to). With my rucksack on my back, I had the image of me being a turtle proceeding slowly up those last few steps. The views from the rooftop were well worth my inelegant ascent.

Descending from the keep, our route took us through the castle where both of us had forgotten some of the rooms leading us to enjoy the castle as if we had not visited on a previous occasion. I knew that one of my favourite items from my previous visit was no longer there; a set of gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution. The rosary beads (unique and meaningful in their location) along with other items had been stolen on a targeted hit.

Our tour of the castle and gardens complete, it was time for afternoon refreshments. We found a café with a sunny location overlooking the river Arun where we enjoyed refreshing drinks and shared a piece of lemon cake.

There was just enough time for us to visit Arundel Museum which showcases the town’s local history before we returned to our hotel to chill out.

Once back at the hotel, we found that our hotel room had not been fully serviced for the second day running. The first day our tea and milk supplies had not been replenished. This was easily fixed by a phone call to reception. However, today we arrived back at the room to find that the bed had not been made and the bathroom seemed not to have cleaned and serviced.

We had a glass of bubbly on the hotel terrace before dining at the Swan Hotel which is a Fullers Pub. The food was lovely but Mr C found the atmosphere uncomfortable so after dining we returned to the Red Lion where once again, we were treated to live music but the atmosphere was also somewhat lacking…

We decided to relocate to the hotel bar for a nightcap. I was delivered a short measure of wine which I made sure was rectified. Shortly after this other customers arrived and were told the bar was closing soon but they were welcome to come in for a drink. The bar wasn’t scheduled to close for at least 30 minutes!

The lady serving was giving off big vibes that the customers were an inconvenience to her. Maybe she should remember that if it wasn’t for the customers, she wouldn’t have a job?