Arundel Cathedral
Arundel Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Philip Howard, stands as one of the most striking examples of Gothic Revival architecture in southern England. Perched dramatically on a hilltop above the town of Arundel in West Sussex, it dominates the skyline alongside the nearby Arundel Castle, creating one of the most photographed townscapes in England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, serving a wide swath of Surrey and Sussex. Despite its medieval appearance, it is a Victorian building of genuine ambition and craftsmanship, and it attracts visitors both for its spiritual significance and its remarkable architectural beauty.
The cathedral owes its existence to Henry Fitzalan-Howard, the fifteenth Duke of Norfolk, who commissioned the building in the 1870s. The Duke, a devout Roman Catholic and the most senior lay Catholic in England, wanted to create a worthy place of worship for the faith that his family had maintained through centuries of persecution following the English Reformation. He engaged the architect Joseph Aloysius Hansom — inventor of the Hansom cab — though the building was largely completed by his son Charles after Hansom's death. Construction began in 1870 and the church was consecrated in 1873, though it was not elevated to cathedral status until 1965. The choice of the French Gothic style, inspired particularly by the cathedral at Séez in Normandy, gave the finished building a continental grandeur unusual in an English market town.
One of the most significant aspects of the cathedral is its connection to Saint Philip Howard, the thirteenth Earl of Arundel, who was canonised in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Philip Howard was imprisoned in the Tower of London for his Catholic faith under Elizabeth I and died there in 1595, reportedly from dysentery, though poisoning has long been suspected. His remains were eventually returned to Arundel and his shrine within the cathedral is an important place of Catholic pilgrimage. The carved Fitzalan Chapel nearby, technically part of the neighbouring Church of England parish church of Saint Nicholas, underscores the long and complicated religious history of this ducal family.
Inside, the cathedral is a breathtaking space. The nave soars upward with slender stone columns and elegant pointed arches, drawing the eye inevitably toward the high altar. Light filters through richly coloured stained glass, casting warm hues across the pale stone interior. The acoustics lend even quiet footsteps a resonant quality, and the atmosphere is one of hushed grandeur. The shrine of Saint Philip Howard occupies a side chapel and is adorned with offerings and votives from pilgrims who have made the journey specifically to venerate him. The organ, installed within the lofty triforium, fills the space magnificently during services and concerts.
The exterior of the cathedral is equally impressive. Built largely from local Pulborough stone, the walls have a warm, buff-grey quality that changes dramatically in different lights — pale and luminous on a bright summer morning, almost pewter-coloured under an overcast sky. The soaring flint and stone tower, completed in 1894, rises to around 60 metres and is visible for miles across the flat coastal plain of the Arun valley. The west front features a large rose window and detailed sculptural work in the tympanum above the main doorway, and the overall effect is of a building that punches well above its weight for a town of Arundel's modest size.
Arundel itself is a wonderfully compact and well-preserved English market town, and visiting the cathedral naturally invites wider exploration. The great medieval castle of the Dukes of Norfolk looms just to the west and is open to the public, offering spectacular views and important collections of art and furniture. The High Street below the cathedral hill is lined with antique shops, independent cafes and old pubs. The River Arun runs through the lower town and the surrounding countryside forms part of the South Downs National Park, making the area excellent for walking. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Arundel is nationally important for birdwatching and lies just a short walk from the town centre.
Getting to Arundel is straightforward. The town has a railway station served by regular trains on the West Coastway line connecting Brighton and Chichester, and the walk from the station to the cathedral takes about ten minutes, mostly uphill through the town. By road, Arundel is just off the A27 trunk road and has town centre car parks nearby. The cathedral is open daily for visiting and there is no entrance charge, though donations are warmly welcomed. Services are held regularly and visitors are welcome to attend. The building is generally accessible, with level access available and facilities for disabled visitors, though the steep streets of the surrounding town can be challenging.
The best time to visit is arguably a weekday morning in late spring or early autumn, when the light is good, the town is quieter and the cathedral can be absorbed in relative peace. The annual Corpus Christi procession, in which the Blessed Sacrament is carried through the streets of the town, is a centuries-old tradition and one of the most visible public expressions of Catholic faith in England, drawing large crowds and considerable national attention. Summer weekends can see the town become quite busy with tourists visiting both cathedral and castle, but the cathedral itself retains a contemplative quality even in peak season. Few places in England manage so effectively to blend genuine religious significance, architectural splendour and picturesque setting within the compass of a single afternoon's visit.