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Fitzalan Chapel

Chapel at Arundel Castle, West Sussex

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
4 min read
Source updated December 30, 2025
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

The Fitzalan Chapel is the chancel of the church of St Nicholas in the western grounds of Arundel Castle, in West Sussex, England. Dating to the 14th century, the chancel is used as the private mausoleum of the FitzAlans and later the Howard family.

The church is one of the very few that is divided into two worship areas, a Catholic area (the chancel) and an Anglican area (the nave and transepts). It is a Grade I-listed building.

01History

Richard FitzAlan, 3rd Earl of Arundel, was responsible for the building of the Chapel posthumously according to his will. The original Fitzalan Chapel consisted of the entire building, and was built as the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in 1380 by commission of Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel, whose family owned Arundel Castle. It is an example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, and the architect and mason is believed to have been William Wynford. A number of noted Fitzalan and Howard family members are buried in the chapel, many in tombs adorned with sculpted effigies. Most of the recently deceased Dukes of Norfolk are buried there.

The chapel was badly damaged in 1643 during the siege of Arundel Castle by the Parliamentarians' cannons during the English Civil War. It remained neglected throughout the 18th century. During this period, the Anglican parish was established in the western portion of the church building. Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, is credited with initiating major repairs to the Fitzalan Chapel circa 1837, and his successors expanded and restored the chapel further.

Fitzalan Chapel is now vested in an independent charitable trust (No. 279379), and accepts donations for further maintenance and preservation. It is currently open to the public by access from the castle grounds.

The circular motte and keep of Arundel Castle in the foreground, St Nicholas' Church (with the Fitzalan Chapel) in the midground, and Arundel Roman Catholic Cathedral in the background
The circular motte and keep of Arundel Castle in the foreground, St Nicholas' Church (with the Fitzalan Chapel) in the midground, and Arundel Roman Catholic Cathedral in the background
Chapel view from castle gardens
Chapel view from castle gardens

02Burials

Transi tomb of John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel
Transi tomb of John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel
Watch videos about Fitzalan ChapelExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Fitzalan Chapel”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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