Arundel Castle

In its 950th anniversary year, we delve into the past of the stronghold that once proved pivotal in the power struggle between Stephen and Matilda

- Neil Jones

Events at Arundel Castle in 1139 have baffled historians. Empress Matilda had come from France to claim England’s crown, promised to her by her father King Henry I before his death in 1135, but subsequently snatched from her by her cousin Stephen.

Matilda was staying at the castle under the protection of its owner, her stepmother Adeliza, Henry’s widowed second wife – you can see the very room in the Gatehouse Tower that Matilda reputedly used. As Stephen prepared to lay siege, a bloody showdown seemed inevitable.

But then, quite inexplicably, Stephen did a deal with the empress, allowing her to leave and granting safe passage to Bristol. Some believe he was afraid of offending Adeliza by attacking the castle; others, that he simply made a catastrophic error of judgement. He certainly came to regret the decision as the cousins proceeded to fight a vicious civil war – a period known as ‘The Anarchy’ – until finally, in 1153, Stephen agreed to Matilda’s son Henry being his successor.

No one knows how events might have unfolded had Stephen carried out his siege; on such moments does history turn. And this year, as the 950th anniversary of Arundel Castle is being celebrated, there is plenty more colourful history to discover at the magnicent West Sussex family home of the 18th Duke of Norfolk.

The original castle was founded on Christmas Day 1067 when William the Conqueror awarded his loyal kinsman Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel, a third of Sussex, with the stipulation that he build a fortication near the mouth of the River Arun to protect the approaches to the region.