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The Tower, the oldest still standing intact in Fife, was built for Sir Thomas Sibbald of Balgonie and is regarded as one of the finest 14th century towers in Scotland.
Built in Ashlar of the hardest of sandstone, it rises approximately 75 feet to the parapets. The walls on the ground floor are 10.5 feet thick reducing to 6 feet at the top.
The Great Hall is the only room that was never remodelled by the later Lairds and so still retains its original window seats. The Laird’s Hall, on the floor above, was remodeled in the 17th century and lost its window seats when the windows were enlarged.
Cheshire, was built, inspired by the great castles of the Holy Land, in 13th century by Earl Ranulf of Chester on a craggy cliff in the middle of Cheshire plain¨with magnificent open views to all directions; the deep well is over 100 metres Deep well below ground.
Northumberland, home of The Duke of Northumberland for 700 years, has a fine collection of paintings and books.
When the Atholl family first made their home in the Strath of Garry, more than seven centuries ago, it was a wild and dangerous place. It was also a strategic one. Whoever held Blair Atholl was gatekeeper to the Grampian mountains and the route north to Inverness.
The Castle has been a magnet to visitors for generations. One or two have been turned away with a bucket of boiling oil or a volley of musket fire. Most have been warmly welcomed. Blair was one of the first private houses in Scotland to be opened to the public. Today, it welcomes more visitors than any other.
Using the dropdown menu above, you can learn about the evolution of the Castle, take a brief tour of the interior and see some of the treasures on display.
If you are pleased with what you see, we hope you will visit one day in person.
Formerly the 14th century Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House is set in glorious grounds and gardens with immaculate spreading lawns and walkways overlooking the Beaulieu River. The House has been in Lord Montagu’s family ownership since 1538, when Sir Thomas Wriothesley, later 1st Earl of Southampton, bought the Estate after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Lord Henry Scott, the first resident owner of Palace House, extended it in the 1870’s to accommodate his growing family. The architect was Sir Arthur Blomfield and the House you see today is a mixture of Victorian Gothic, medieval Gothic and 18th century fortification styles.
Our Victorian staff bring Palace House to life …The monastic origins of the House are evident and, once inside, visitors soon succumb to its friendly atmosphere as they view the many splendid and varied family treasures, portraits, photographs and memorabilia.
Above all, Palace House remains a family home still lived in by the present Lord Montagu and his family and much loved by them.
There is nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel. The oldest feature is the motte, an artificial mound, over 100 feet high from the ditch, and constructed in 1068: followed by the gatehouse in 1070.
Under his Will, King Henry I (1068-1135) settled the Castle and lands in dower on his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain. Three years after his death she married William d’Albini II, who built the stone shell keep on the motte. King Henry II (1133-89), who built much of the oldest part of the stone Castle, in 1155 confirmed William d’Albini II as Earl of Arundel, with the Honour and Castle of Arundel. The Castle Keep
It can be said that, apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day, carried by female heiresses from the d’Albinis to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and then from the Fitzalans to the Howards in the 16th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years.
The 3rd Duke of Norfolk From the 15th to the 17th centuries the Howards were at the forefront of English history, from the Wars of the Roses, through the Tudor period to the Civil War. Among the famous members of the Howard family are the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524), the victor of Flodden, Lord Howard of Effingham, who with Sir Francis Drake repelled the Armada in 1588, the Earl of Surrey, the Tudor poet and courtier, and the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom became wives of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).
These were politically dangerous times: the ‘Poet’ Earl was executed in 1547; his father, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk only escaped the death penalty because King Henry VIII died the night before the execution was due and the 4th Duke (1536-72) was beheaded for plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots. There have been two cardinals and a saint in the Howard family; St Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel (1557-95) died in the Tower of London for his faith. The ‘Madagascar’ portrait of 14th Earl of Arundel and his wife
By contrast, his son, the ‘Collector’ 14th Earl (1585-1646), as his nickname suggests, was responsible for many of the treasures which can be seen today.
Mary Queen of Scots’ Rosary and Prayer Book
The results of all this history are concentrated at the Castle, which houses a fascinating collection of fine furniture dating from the 16th century, tapestries, clocks, and portraits by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Mytens, Lawrence, Reynolds, etc. Cuenot Triptych
Personal possessions of Mary, Queen of Scots and a selection of historical, religious and heraldic items from the Duke of Norfolk’s collection are also on display.
During the Civil War (1642-45), the Castle was twice besieged, first by Royalists who took control, then by a Parliamentarian force, and was badly damaged. Not much was done until about 1718 when Thomas, the 8th Duke of Norfolk (1683-1732) carried out some repairs. Charles Howard, the 11th Duke (1746-1815), known to posterity as the ‘Drunken Duke’ and friend of the Prince Regent, carried out much necessary restoration.
There have been many royal visits: Queen Victoria (1819-1901) came from Osborne House with her husband, Prince Albert, for three days in 1846, for which the bedroom and library furniture were specially commissioned and made by a leading London furniture designer. Her portrait by William Fowler was specially commissioned by the 13th Duke in 1843. These can be seen during a visit.
Portrait of Queen Victoria by William Fowler
The building we see now owes much to Henry,15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917). It was one of the first English country houses to be fitted with electric light, integral fire fighting equipment, service lifts and central heating. The gravity fed domestic water supply also supplied the town. Electricity cost over £36,000 to install, but the splendidly carved chimneypiece in the Drawing Room only cost £150!
Drawing Room Chimneypiece
Arundel Castle is now the home of The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and their children.
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier Duke, the title having been conferred on Sir John Howard in 1483 by his friend King Richard III. The Dukedom carries with it (since 1672) the hereditary office of Earl Marshal of England. This means that the Duke is in charge of state ceremonial such as the coronation and funeral of the sovereign and such occasions as the sovereign declares shall be a state occasion, e.g. the investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. Visitors often ask about the relationship of the English sovereign to the Dukes of Norfolk: they share a common ancestor in King Edward I (1239-1307) and also King Edward III (1312-1377). As Earl Marshal, the Duke is head of the College of Arms, founded in 1484, the official authority on heraldry and genealogy in England and Wales.
