Arundel, St Nicholas Church

St Nicholas Church, Arundel

The 14th-century parish church of St Nicholas stands immediately outside the walls of Arundel Castle and a stone's throw from the 19th-century Catholic cathedral. The dedication to St Nicholas is worth noting, for St Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors and Arundel was a busy inland port in the medieval period.

History

The current church was built around 1380 but it stands on the site of at least two earlier churches, the first of which pre-dated the Norman Conquest. The first church at Arundel was a Saxon minster, or mother church for the region, and we know from historical documents that was a college of secular canons at Arundel.

Sometime around 1150 the parish church was appropriated by the Abbey of Saint-Martin-de-Sées, in Normandy, and the church became a priory under the abbey. The priory suffered from neglect and by 1379 it was described as desolate.

Looking east down the nave

In 1380 the priory was suppressed and transformed once more into a college of secular canons, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The old church was rebuilt in its current form, with the nave of the new building used by the parishioners and the chancel used by the canons as their chapel. This division is important, for it explains the rather unusual arrangement of the church today.

The 14th-century design was likely the work of Henry Yeveley and William Wynford, perhaps the most famous master masons of the time. The pair also worked on the cathedrals of Winchester and Canterbury.

The 14th-century pulpit

Despite this rather confusing history, we know that there was a vicar of Arundel at least as early as 1158.

The church had some colourful clerics; in 1642 a curate was admonished for speaking 'scandalous words against the Protestant religion', and in 1643 the vicar was ejected for only rarely bothering to preach.

The church was comprehensibly restored in 1874 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, at a cost of some six thousand pounds.

The Fitzalan Chapel

Fitzalan Chapel

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, all of the college's property, including their chapel, passed to the 12th Duke of Arundel, Henry Fitzalan. For that reason, the chapel is now known as the Fitzalan Chapel, though you will sometimes see it referred to as the Fitzalan Chancel since it occupies the church chancel.

The Fitzalans and their successors, the Howards, were, with rare exceptions, Catholic, so at Arundel you have Catholic and Protestant foundations under one roof, a practise which may be unique today, though it was not unheard-of in the medieval period.

In 1879 the vicar of Arundel tried to reclaim the Fitzalan Chapel by bringing a court case against the Duke of Norfolk. He lost, but in the turmoil the Duke agreed to help build a town hall in exchange for the vicar dropping his claims. The result is the castellated town hall that you see now on Maltravers Street.

You cannot access the Fitzalan Chapel from the parish church, only from within the grounds of Arundel Castle. You can, however, look into the chapel through a beautiful 14th-century wrought-iron grill, which allows you to view the superb medieval interior, with its memorials to generations of the Fitzalan and Howard families.

Restored medieval wall paintings

Historical Highlights

The church interior is largely a product of the 14th century. The marble font dates from that period, as does the rare wrought-iron screen. On the north aisle wall are fragments of medieval wall paintings, including depictions of the seven works of mercy and the seven deadly sins. The church also boasts a remarkable collection of medieval graffiti.

The stone pulpit is exceptional, with its beautifully-crafted canopy. This was for many years used as a private pew, but has since been restored. The pulpit is thought to be slightly later in date than the church. Nearby is a window with stained glass depicting scenes from the life of St Nicholas, while in the south transept is a 14th-century piscina under a trefoil head.

George III royal coat of arms

The stained glass is Victorian, including the south-west window in the south transept, designed by the famous firm of Burlison & Grylls.

One of the oldest memorials is that of Charles Bushby (died circa 1789), while over the south door is a memorial to Charles Lane (d. circa 1827).

By the south door is a richly-painted royal coat of arms in an ornate wooden frame that may predate the painting. This unusually large coat of arms dates to the reign of George III and is thought to have been painted before 1802.

The Arundel Choirbook

Sometime during the reign of Henry VIII, an unknown cleric at the college of canons in Arundel produced a magnificent illustrated manuscript of choral music. This manuscript, alternately known as the Arundel Choirbook or the Lambeth Choirbook, is one of only two to survive from Henry VIII's reign.

The Choirbook is normally held in the Lambeth Palace Library in London, but we were fortunate that when we visited Arundel the manuscript was on display in the church as part of celebrations to honour its 500th anniversary.

Visiting

The church stands on the north side of London Road, immediately west of The Priory and east of the cathedral. There is limited parking along London Road, but it may be easier for visitors to park in one of the town's pay and display car parks by the river.

The church is normally open daily to visitors and was open when we visited.