Glimpses of Georgian buildings in Arundel

By local historian Mark Phillips

Two friends of mine, Adge Roberts and Ruth White from the Arundel History Forum, have been busying away for the past two years on an A5 hardback book entitled: Glimpses of Georgian Buildings in Arundel. It focuses on 101 different properties and features a photo of each one along with a description of the building and associated info.

As I have spent time assisting with the editing, info and layout of the book, I thought I would give you a few interesting examples from it. I have reworded these short extracts to put them into context.

No 1 and No 3 High Street - These houses, built in the 1780s, were believed to have been constructed as a semi-detached pair. However, recent work uncovered evidence that suggested No 3 was built slightly later than No 1. In 1808, No 1 was converted into a bank for Henty and Co. and was later taken over by Lloyds Bank which relocated further up the High Street. (1904)

No 43 High Street (Cockburns) - When this narrow shop was built in the 1700s, it cut off the east end of the old Mincing Lane at its junction with the High Street. Mincing Lane once led from the High Street before emerging onto Tarrant Street. (Via the alley that can be seen next to Butlers Restaurant.)

No 55 and No 57 High Street. (Formally Nat West Bank) - This is a three-storey yellow brick townhouse, originally built for Lord Zouche of Parham Park in the mid 18th century. A coach/carriage entrance to the rear was originally incorporated into the lefthand side of the building.

No 22 High Street (Norfolk Arms) – This coaching inn (opened c1785) along with its stabling and coach house, was built by the 11th Duke of Norfolk using 185,550 bricks. The Duke paid a rather precise amount of £6,341 eight shillings and tuppence plus three farthings towards the overall building cost of £7,235. It replaced the ageing George Inn further up the street, now The Book Ferret and Swaffer Antiques.

No 5 Maltravers Street - This small, stuccoed house is of two floors with a pitched and slated roof and a red brick chimney. This property was once Fullers Bakery before becoming Salters Bakery; it is now a private house.

No 18 Maltravers Street - This two-storey house, with attics and basements with an area, is faced in stucco. It has a frieze and cornice to the parapet which obscures the dormer and roof. It also has a plain string course above the ground floor. It was built in c1833 on the site of a former theatre which opened on December 7, 1807.

The Old Poorhouse, Mount Pleasant – The current building was erected in 1831 as a workhouse/poorhouse. It closed in 1871 and in later years it housed a smallpox hospital, various church-run youth groups and was the location for the Arundel Youth Club until 1975. It has since been converted into private apartments. The road was previously known as Poor House Hill before it was changed to the more favourable - Mount Pleasant.

** If you have any questions about the book or would like to reserve one, please contact Adge and Ruth at arundelhistoryforum@gmail.com

By Mark Phillips