A Spectator's Notebook
MOST PEOPLE IF OFFERED a castle together with £250,000 to keep it up would probably accept it; some of them might even say 'Thank you.' But not apparently Members of Parliament. Opposition to the Duke of Norfolk's Arundel Estate Bill, which would disentail Arundel Castle and put it in trust 'for the benefit of the nation and as a residence for the Earl Marshal of England,' is becoming increas- ingly raucous. Admittedly. Arundel has no great architectural merit. It was `baronialised' early in the nineteenth century and again in 1881 by C. A. Buckler, but it has some impressive features and a fine situation. Anyway, its lack of architectural distinction does not seem to worry the public, Who flock there in their thousands each year. Part of Arundel's attraction to these visitors, it is reasonable to assume, is that the Duke of Norfolk lives there, so that by inserting in his Bill the provision that Arundel should be the residence of the Earl Marshal of England the Duke is helping to ensure that this element in its attraction re- mained and to prevent the place from becoming yet another deserted museum.
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