@@dogwithwigwamz.7320 thanks for the entertaining memory!

Thanks so much! It was a surprisingly interesting and beautiful castle!

Thank you so much! Arundel is a stunning castle. Wishing you all the best this new year as well! X

That’s sad. I feel the same way about the US.

I'm thrilled that you are getting to see the Cotswolds and Cheltenham! I'll be interested to hear your comparison to Texas. We lived in San Antonio for 6 months, and it is a lovely city. But obviously very different than England ;-) Happy Travels! XX Dara

This is Ian in the video. While I do agree with Chris that there are some seriously negative things about Britain, we do love it there and are grateful to be able to live there for part of the year. It certainly makes a difference that we are there in the summer. Winters there can be quite dismal. Also, where you live can really color your view of things. We love having a flat in Cheltenham but homes there are really expensive. If I didn't have the ties I have to Britain, I would probably chose a second home in a place like Portugal where it is more affordable and the weather is better. Despite my accent, I've been a British citizen all my life and that also makes it easier for us to be there. The UK has 70 million people living in an area the size of Oregon. That sort of overpopulation is going to cause problems. In my opinion the best thing they've done is carve out areas that are AONB's (the Cotswolds is one) and National Parks that are mostly unspoiled by development and are truly lovely. Unfortunately, 20th century planners made some really bad decisions that have negatively impacted the atmosphere of many towns and cities. There's a good example you will see in Cheltenham, Eagle Tower (I call it "evil tower). It's a 1960's brutalist monstrosity office tower that dominates the town. My ancestral home town of Birmingham has many of these that they tore down beautiful Victorian architecture to build. Despite this, I still love Cheltenham and enjoy visiting Birmingham. The number of beautiful places to visit in Britain seems endless. I've been there 30 - 40 times and yet the list of places we still want to visit grows beyond our capacity to see them. (sorry for the long-winded response).

@@chrisaris8756 Your truth Chris, personally I love it and wouldn't live anywhere else.

It really is such a fantastic place, and I love that there are so many interesting places to visit in that area. It was the perfect place for our anniversary trip! 💖

Chichester is quite a lovely place too. Had a really enjoyable time there.

The weather was somewhat cooperative ... hahaha

Don't forget the jousting competition in the summer! And they're a proper competition. We love it!

Lucky! We returned to Arundel this summer with some friends. We just love that place!

Thanks so much! It really was a stunning castle. And now I'm sifting through the rest of the footage of this trip... more castles, cathedrals and gushing ahead! haha Cheers! XX Dara

Boppy was commenting about the awful job of cleaning out the bottom of the garderobe... and I mentioned that @The_Brit_Girls had told the name of that job in one of their videos but I couldn't remember it. THAT was a nasty job for sure!!! Thanks for watching and your kind comments. I was also "chuffed" that Ian got such great drone footage of Arundel. Turns out he had some even BETTER clips that I missed! So since this video was already published, I'm sticking it at the beginning of my NEXT video LOL! Julie, you REALLY do need to go visit Arundel. It is so worth your while. And since he is the Duke of NORFOLK... I think it is your duty!!! XX

I now feel duty-bound to visit Arundel! 😂The job we mentioned was 'The Groom of the Stool' who responsible for assisting the king with his toileting needs 😬 In medieval times “Gong Farmers” would show up at night to clean out castle garderobes or communal town facilities! What a job! @@MagentaOtterTravels

@@The_Brit_Girls yes, that's it! Thank you for the reminders! Those are both absolutely horrid jobs! I can't imagine! And yes, you are duty bound to go visit Arundel 😉

Thanks so much Anita! And yes, I agree... prominent people need to remember that we are all human in the end!

It was a great trip!

I'm very excited and grateful!

I was surprised to hear that you had been there, since it's far away away from where you live now. But hearing that your mum was from Kent explains it! It is a very lovely county to visit.❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Thanks so much, friend!!! 🤗

I didn't know anything about it, but now I love it too! Thanks for watching!

Thank you so much! We were surprised at how huge and historic and interesting the castle was! It was a beautiful place. And there are some other amazing castles and delightful villages coming up in the next vlogs 🩷👍... thanks for joining us on our road trip!

Aw, bless you! Very kind of you to say! I was rubbish at history, I'm sad to say... but I do lots of research for videos like this because I know that most normal people really enjoy history! LOL Yes, Ian deserves a lot of credit because his beautiful drone photography really enhanced this video! Have a great week. Cheers! XX Dara

@@MagentaOtterTravels Ah Thank You For Your Reply Dara, Have A Great Week Also X

I'm with you Susie. I think history is fascinating. Right now I'm "reading" (actually listening to on Audible) a 1400 page book on the history of New York called Gotham.

@@ians3586 That Sounds Really Interesting Ian, Your Book On New York's History, I'm The Same As You Ian History Has Always Fascinated Me To.

Just the beginning of our journey exploring the weald ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The weather here is CRAZY! Yesterday it was 21 C and everyone was in T shirts. In a few days it's supposed to be -13 C! We are preparing our uninsulated houses and pipes for a deep freeze!

Yes it's an epic castle!

There are too many to see them all!

Thanks for coming along. We were surprised how big, beautiful and interesting it was! XX

I'm so thrilled you watched my video! I can't believe you haven't seen it in person... are you able to go visit? If not, I'm glad that my video gave you a peek inside and around ;-) Cheers! Dara

@@MagentaOtterTravels Hello. I wish that I could get over there and see it in person, Dara, but I have an illness that precludes my travelling long distances. So such trips have to be vicarious for me now. 🙁

@@4000ChacoRoad well I'm glad that I was able to give you a pretty thorough vicarious tour! Thank you so much for watching, and leaving your comment. It made my day! All the best to you! XX Dara

Yes, it is unique and just stunningly beautiful! I would love to have afternoon tea there! Lol

Thank you very much for the compliment on my editing. I do hate editing, because it's torture for a perfectionist like me! But I'm always quite happy when the video is done, because I enjoy remembering the wonderful places we have visited. I have been very privileged to have the time and opportunity to travel Britain extensively. Very few people get that chance! Don't feel bad that you haven't been to all the places we have. But I do hope our videos inspire you to see a few of them in person. 😉 Cheers! Dara

Yes, I totally agree! I think English people, especially from the area, know that it's amazing, but I rarely hear Americans mention it!

Selfishly, I hope it stays under the radar. 🤭

​@@MagentaOtterTravelsdid you happen to pass through a village called Steyning (pron stenning) on your way to or from Arundel? It's not far from there. The locals call it Stunning Steyning - and for good reason! Chock full of Tudor, Elizabethan and Georgian architecture.

@@shanewaterman4125 I don't remember it. But honestly, the whole area was just overwhelming! So much to see!

@@kevins2961 I know that means some castle purists think it is not a legit castle. To them it is too Cinderella/Disneyland. But I love that the castle has some very ancient medieval parts to it and also the Victorian fairytale part 🩷

@@MagentaOtterTravels It is beautiful and well worth a visit, there is an amazing silver plaque by Faberge in the library, a lot of the family portraits were by Reubens, Reynolds and Gainsborough and the Canaletto paintings were bought by the Norfolks when Canaletto was living in London and have never been out of the family possession, Together with the Van Dyke paintings it is almost an art gallery in its own right!

@@kevins2961 I agree! The paintings are incredible!

Thank you. I couldn't get too close to the castle as that isn't kosher but I did my best to try to get a good aerial representation.

Yes, of course we couldn't fly on the castle property, but it's so massive you can see it from quite a distance!!

Oh, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the video! That means a lot coming from a local! I'm publishing a video next week about loads more places in Sussex. What a lovely area and SO MUCH to see!! Thanks for coming along! XX Dara

Thank you so much! Of course, we have seen many many 🏰 ! But this one really did stand out head and shoulders above the others because of its grandeur and uniqueness!

No worries at all! You are a good friend for doing that wonderful service! It's more important to do something good in the world today than to watch my video premiere 😉

@@MagentaOtterTravels which is also a good thing. 🙏

I know they have a cadaver tomb in the Wells Cathedral, and I was told they had one in Gloucester Cathedral. Also I believe Tewkesbury Abbey?

@@MagentaOtterTravelsalso Bristol Cathedral.

I found that interesting as well!

Yes, I thought of Alnwick when I was at Arundel castle, because it's another huge castle that has been in the same prominent family for centuries! And walled cities are always so interesting! 🩷

That is a really helpful insight! I would have been better off emphasizing the first syllable in A - run-del... I tried to, but honestly I probably said the name of the castle 3 different ways in the course of the video, LOL! Did you notice I said both Dyewk and Dook for "Duke"... that is because of Britons harassing me about that word! haha Thanks for your comment. Cheers! Dara

Yes, I have the same "eagle eye" as you! I noticed water on the bedside tables and bin liners in trash cans in the bedrooms... which made me realise they really were in current use! So nice to see a slice of real life for the aristocracy... and not just a museum.

I didn't plan to have such a long video for a castle that didn't allow filming inside! But I also didn't expect it would be so HUGE and so INTERESTING!!! I was just caught up in all the stories! And honestly, I don't think I've seen such a fairytale castle in the UK! It's not Neuschwanstein, but it's pretty fab! Thanks for joining us on our tour! XX

I think the drone's shots turned out alright considering the drone's limitations. I gave that drone away because it was over 250g and ancient (really hard to control). I'm hoping to get a new (used) drone in the next couple of months and hope it does a little better job with the videography. As I watch this I notice how "blown out" the castle looks. Contrast was one of the many weaknesses of the drone but considering how cheap it was I can't really complain.

@@MagentaOtterTravelsit’s the best Castle I’ve ever seen in the UK by a long mile. Breathtaking and to be able to see all the personal belongings in an active Castle is a real joy.

@@ians3586absolutely incredible opening and closing shots Ian. We don’t have a drone but it might be on the cards this year. In the right hands, like yours, it adds so much to the video.

The castle certainly had some very vintage toilets! Lol

Haha, indeed!

You got a great deal on helmets! I had never heard of pig face before, so I thought it was pretty funny 🐷. Yes, Arundel really is a special castle. I know we go to lots of castles, but this one was next level! 🏰

Thank you Shane. Unfortunately my best drone footage didn't make it into the video because it was overlooked until after the video had been published. Right now I don't have a drone so I'm hoping to get one in the next month or two.

@@ians3586 me too. dji mini 3 pro is at the top of the list because... it is cheap compared to the 4. 😂 Plus it does just about everything I need in a drone. We're travelling in March so it would nice to have one before then. 😂

Thanks, Aishu!

I was thinking the same thing! To be RC and be the "right hand man" doing all the planning for the coronation and funeral... which are very much Anglican events... it's interesting, innit?! It's so fascinating to visit castles like Alnwick and Bamburgh and Arundel which are still family homes (for the family who has lived there for centuries!)... they are all very grand, but I loved how Arundel seemed the most "accessible" of them all. If you find yourself in Sussex one of these years, hopefully you can stop in for a visit! Cheers for watching! Dara

@@MagentaOtterTravels After seeing your video, I definitely want to visit!

It's even more extraordinary when you consider that the Dukes of Norfolk are the hereditary Earls Marshal of England, so this association has endured for centuries despite all the various religious disturbances in our history.

There was something about the library that made it feel cosy even though it was MASSIVE! Just stunning.

Oh Eric, let it go!

@@MagentaOtterTravels 🤣🤣🤣

It's amazing. I read that they had been planning the queen's funeral for DECADES! That's what happens when you are very important and live to be very very old!! The traffic court story is funny ;-)

Thanks so much! You are a sweetheart. Have a great weekend!

I'm so glad to hear! Sometimes KZfaq buffers a bit and pixilates things... so I'm glad you are getting a clear picture! It also helps to put your KZfaq settings at high res ;-)

Phew! So glad I didn't butcher the pronunciation of Arundel! But wait till the next video when I visit Herstmonceux... that is a different matter! LOL

To an American, it never makes any sense that the Dukes are always dukes of a county far away from where they live! Lol

Thank you so much! I didn't know what to expect when I went to visit that castle, and I was blown away by how massive and interesting and historic it was!

WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?! I was thinking of you when I was editing this, since we call it our favourite castle, and you two have been to a LOT of castles. But I didn't realise you live so dang close! You really need to go visit! But plan to spend a LOT longer than you usually do on your castle visits. That place is huge and just packed with interesting bits!! Thanks for watching! XX Dara

Are you East or West, or even North of Arundel ?

Us? i'd say West, as we're in Portsmouth :)@@wencireone

Thanks so much! I was gobsmacked... didn't expect it to be so huge and interesting!

We spent 10 days touring Sussex and Kent so there will be a lot of material upcoming. Even with all that time we weren't able to hit all the places I wanted to visit like Wakehurst and Knole.

We fell in love with that area!!❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

@@ians3586 Another time maybe 😎 The area doesn’t get the (over?) exposure of the Cotswolds, York, Lake District etc. but is no less scenic. We don’t see too many from the USA but seems very popular with Korean’s and Japanese tourists. I wonder if you did Pevensey Castle? Often ignored as mostly ruins but a fascinating early history, time will tell 😀

@@MagentaOtterTravels I do too, the only issue is the awful southern trunk road (A27) making Chichester to Folkestone a real trial, especially in the summer. One year, try to visit my homeland of East Anglia, it’s lovely and not crowded at all.

@@Nick_r no we didn't make it to Pevensey but it does look like a worthwhile place to visit. We mostly stayed away from the coast. Only made it to Hastings (which was a mixed bag) because we had a meeting there already. When we were planning this trip I decided in advance to avoid the coast because of potential July crowds.

BLESS YOUR LITTLE COTTON SOCKS! I am sending you a hug and a high five from Texas!

I didn't know it, but I just looked it up. What a beautiful poem! Thanks for recommending... it means a lot having seen that beautiful tomb! Cheers XX Dara

You make a good point. The exterior is an inferior imitation of medieval architecture (though better than anything that would have been done today) and is a bit jarring next to the original structure. Despite this I'm in awe of the place and love the Victorian interiors, grounds, and the appearance of the castle from a distance.

I guess I'm a sucker for a fairytale castle, even if it's fake! As an American, it's still a lot better than going to Disney World 🤣🤣

WHAT?!?! You lived in Woodstock and didn't ever tour Blenheim? I'm going to have to send you a gift card for a castle tour... what county do you live in now?

@@MagentaOtterTravels Gloucestershire! I used to go into Blenheim Park all the time, most summer evenings in fact when it's blissfully quiet and beautiful (and in fact was there again on New Years Day) but I've never been inside. I got National Trust membership this year though so have got a lot of trips to make to lovely houses and I won't have to fret about "is it worth £15 to get in"? 😂

LOL!

Excellent use of "swings and roundabouts", Liz! Do you ever think of Fred Flintstone when you look at your walls? I hope you do now, thanks to me ;-) XX

I will from now on!

@@lizbignell7813 #SorryNotSorry 🤣😂

They had a lot from so many different eras. Fascinating place!

You need to go visit!

@@MagentaOtterTravels of course I've been there, but this is the first time I've really seen it ❤

So I put the accent on the wrong syllable?

@@MagentaOtterTravels you put your own individual stamp on it 🤭

Wow! Appropriate 😉