Arundel Castle Credit Julia Claxton

This year, Arundel Castle, in West Sussex, will celebrate the 950th anniversary of its initial construction with a year’s worth of events.

Events at the castle in 2017 will include flower displays in the gardens and historical re-enactments, including a week-long jousting and Medieval tournament.

The castle will re-open to visitors on 1st April and will host two brand new events as well as welcoming back previous events.

The season will start with the new Warriors of Arundel Castle weekend between 8th and 9th April. The event will explore 1,000 years of the castle’s history using costumes, crafts, weapons and combat displays.

The annual Tulip Festival will also run in April, and will showcase 36,000 blooms.

The Castle Siege event will take place between 27th and 29th May and will focus on the battles that occurred between the English and French soldiers as they tried to take control of the castle.

Another new event will be the Four Nations Medieval Tournament on 17th June to 18th June, which will see England, France, Poland and Denmark competing in a free-style competition using a variety of weapons.

The climax of the season will be the Jousting and Medieval Tournament which will take place between 25th and 30th July. For this, visitors will be able to watch knights from across the globe descend on Arundel to battle on horseback during a six day re-enactment competition.

Other events that can be seen on the calendar include: Normans and Crusaders between 15th and 17th April; Living History Days; and the Allium Extravaganza in May and June.

Arundel Castle for groups

For groups, the castle offers reduced ticket prices for group bookings, plus free admission for GTOs and tour guides. 

Coach drivers are also offered free coach parking, free admission and a complimentary restaurant voucher.

For more information and details of the 2017 calendar, visit www.arundelcastle.org