'Oberon's Palace', made of oak, is being built in the gardens next to the castle wall and opposite the town's cathedral.


But Mount Pleasant resident Emily McCabe said: "I think it's hideous. I don't think it goes with anything. I think it's a bit random."


She added that the structure itself was pretty but wasn't in keeping with the castle and Arundel.


Jarvis Road resident Arthur Ferrier said: "I think it's an absolute eyesore – it just looks awful."


Mr Ferrier said it was not in keeping with anything else in the vicinity.


"I'm just a local resident who thinks it looks ridiculous.


"I would say that everybody who has spoken to me would offer the same opinion and that's a reasonable amount of people. I have not heard anybody say it looks nice."


He added: "As you come up Parson's Hill it smacks you right in the face – it's unbelievable."

Paul Wood, manager of the St Mary's Gate Inn pub said he did not like the structure and it was too big.


He said he had heard people call it the 'temple of doom'.

But a spokeswoman for Arundel Castle said the castle's trustees were delighted to have commissioned the new garden in memory of the Collector Earl (Thomas the 14th Earl of Arundel) who was the first great English collector of art.

The trustees hoped it would be enjoyed by visitors from home and abroad and be a place of peace and inspiration to all who visited.



For full story see West Sussex Gazette December 12

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