Our last stop on May Day was to the 950-year-old Arundel Castle. Considered one of the most impressive in England—most of the house was rebuilt during the Victorian period—it features Gothic architecture, a crenellated Norman keep, a gatehouse and a tower. Well-maintained and finely furnished, this property also benefits from being inhabited for almost all those years by the Dukes of Norfolk and their descendants.

Once through the main gate, we knew this was a different sort of castle from the Tower of London. There were pots of tulips everywhere!

We made our way to the castle keep, and despite the number of stairs we had to climb to get to the stop, it was well worth it! Here’s the inside of the keep from the top walk, followed by the views from the top.

The furnishings inside the castle are phenomenal. I was only able to take a few photos before a docent informed me there was no photography allowed. This is such a shame since not all the rooms have postcards available for purchase. We were especially impressed by the two-story library, but there were no photos available to purchase.

This chapel isn’t the only one on the grounds, but it’s in the main castle. Here’s one of the bedchambers.

Once we completed a tour of the main castle (our ticket allowed us to see not only the main floor but also the floor above), we headed outside. It’s a bit of a walk to the Fitzalan Chapel and its white garden, and the Collectors Earl’s Garden, but it’s well worth it. As always, be sure to look up. The ceilings are amazing.

The garden is private and features tulips, lilies, and lots of water features.

The view from the garden is also impressive. We wish we could have spent some more time here, but the castle closes at 5:00 pm, so we had to take our leave. Ta-ta for now.