- published: 12 Oct 2015
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Coordinates: 50°51′16″N 0°33′14″W / 50.85439°N 0.5539°W / 50.85439; -0.5539
Arundel ( /ˈærəndəl/ or local /ˈɑːndəl/) is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies 49 miles (79 km) south southwest of London, 18 miles (29 km) west of Brighton, and 10 miles (16 km) east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to the southwest. The River Arun runs through the eastern side of the town. The town is famous for its historic castle and cathedral.
Arundel was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. In 1974 it became part of the Arun district, and now is a civil parish with a town council.
There are several theories about the meaning of the name 'Arundel'. One is that the upper reaches of the Arun, away from the sea, was once known as the Arnus, from the Brythonic word Arno, meaning run or go. So Arundel would mean Arno-dell or the dell of the flowing river. Another theory is that due to the preponderance of hoarhound on the slopes of the Arun near the town, Arundel would mean hoarhound-dell. A third explanation is that the town takes its name from the French word for swallow, hirondelle, a bird which is on the town's crest. The name was spelled Arundell until 1733, when the final l was dropped. A new theory (Theo Vennemann) relates the 'Arun' part to Basque aran 'valley' (substratic reduplication or tautology), like the placename Arendal in Norway and Sweden.[citation needed] However, it seems rather more likely that the Scandinavian placenames derive from Old Norse arnardalr 'eagle dell' or arindalr 'dwelling dell'. Similarly, the name of Arundel could just as well derive from Old English earndæl or ærndæl, meaning 'eagle dell' and 'dwelling dell' respectively.
Coordinates: 51°30′43″N 0°6′51″W / 51.51194°N 0.11417°W / 51.51194; -0.11417
Arundel House was a town-house or palace located between the Strand and the Thames, near St Clement Danes.
It was originally the town house of the Bishops of Bath and Wells, during the Middle Ages. In 1539 it was given to William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton. It reverted to the Crown on Fitzwilliam's death and was granted in 1545 to Thomas Seymour, brother to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Protector (of the infant King Edward VI, son of King Henry VIII). After Seymour's execution in 1549 for treason, the house was sold to Henry Fitz Alan, 12th Earl of Arundel, for around £40. It later housed Thomas Howard's collection of Old Masters and classical sculpture (a 2nd century AD relief from Ephesus kept at the house may be seen in the 17th century gallery at the Museum of London), and also hosted his protégé Wenceslaus Hollar.
The Roman Baths, Strand Lane were situated within the grounds, and remain in the ownership of the National Trust.