We had arrived at the gates of Arundel Castle in Sussex as dancers performed this ancient ceremony. Then the Roosters took to the road, giving us another fascinating dance, the leader sporting a huge rooster's head. John of Gaunt, son of Edward lll, is believed to have introduced Morris dancing to Britain between 1312 and 1317.

Believed to be a relic of old pagan May evening ceremonies, the jiglike dancing is possibly from North Africa and the earliest references can be gleaned from 1468. Many of the dancers sported blackened faces to depict the Moors, who were believed to have performed the dances. By the 16th century, the dancing often was a fixture of church ceremonies.

It fell out of flavour under Cromwell but later reappeared in the late 17th to early 18th century. We joined in the fun after this fine way to be introduced to a medieval castle, then began a most fascinating tour.

Enter the gates of Arundel Castle and you step back nearly 1 000 years. The castle is situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the river Arun in West Sussex. It was built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery Earl of Arundel.

The castle dominates a historical village, which in itself offers an interesting walks up and down the tiny lanes, and old buildings, many of them standing in defiance of the need for major props. Arundel Castle is the home of The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and their children. The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke, the title having been conferred on Sir John Howard in 1483 by his friend King Richard III.

The Dukedom has carried with it the hereditary office of Earl Marshal of England. This means that the Duke is in charge of state ceremonies such as the sovereign’s coronation and funeral and such occasions as the sovereign declares to be a state occasion. The Duke was directly involved in the investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill.

Visitors often ask about the relationship of the English sovereign to the Dukes of Norfolk. They share a common ancestor in King Edward I (1239 to 1307) and also King Edward III (1312 to 1377). As Earl Marshal, the Duke is head of the College of Arms, founded in 1484, the official authority on heraldry and genealogy in England and Wales.

We were fortunate that the Duke and Duchess were not in residence so we could take the full tour of the magnificent castle, including the state rooms and the living quarters. However, be prepared for a costly tour as our party of three paid just over R639.

This included a discount for me, being over 60. The castle grounds are magnificent and I could easily spend a day strolling around them. The first stop before entering the chapel is a garden with a selection of plants from all over the world.

There is also a large, well-tended vegetable garden, which must go a fair way to supplying the Duke with plenty of nourishment. While we were in the UK, the Queen’s new vegetable garden at Buckingham Palace was announced then shown on TV.

It is the first time since the World War 2 that vegetables have been grown at Buckingham Palace. Then it was established to be a shining example for the man in the street to do likewise to help feed the nation.

Today the Queen has reinstated the gardens to show the world that we all can help, especially during the recession. When we entered the chapel, before us were the statues of the royalty buried in the crypt.

One of the dignitaries had an effigy looking like a skeleton erected before his death then a perfect, life-like statue placed above the effigy after his death. The chapel also had a magnificent stained glass window which throws an eerie light across the chapel.

After seeing the chapel, we moved across to the main castle to visit the keep. It is a steep climb up a very narrow set of stone stairs to reach the highest part of the castle, where you can see for many kilometres in all directions. The drawbridge is controlled from the keep and it would be the first place from which the castle would be defended. Up in the keep are two tiny cold and unappealing rooms.

A monk lived in one. He would, apart from praying most of the day, do other chores. The other was occupied by the most important visitor to Arundel, Queen Matilda, queen of England from 1102 to 1169.

She was the daughter of King Henry I and, upon his death, returned from France to claim the throne. Her brother Stephen had taken over and he imprisoned her in the tiny room in the keep but later allowed her to flee. Descending from the keep, we had our tickets checked then saw all the state rooms and living quarters, which are still in use today.

The furniture, collections of arms from throughout the ages, including huge hunting crossbows and rifles of all descriptions, and the paintings, are well worth the visit. Here the history of the castle and England unfolds. While in the library, we learnt that the book collection totalled more than 10 000 volumes, including a magnificent book hand-written by monks.

It is difficult to imagine, in today’s computer age with instant information technology, how long it would have taken to write such a book with all its hand-drawn illustrations. It was also interesting to look into the bedrooms, some with baths and basins, now supplied with electricity for modern visitors. Unfortunately nobody is allowed to photograph the rooms. It would be interesting to show how high some baths are off the ground.

Most people would need a step ladder to climb onto the rim before a jump to reach the water. The final part of the castle is the private chapel, which visitors can only look into but not enter.

After visiting the grounds, it is worthwhile walking around the centre of Arundel and especially visiting some of the ancient houses in the narrow streets. Before saying goodbye to Arundel we spent a leisurely hour over lunch and a pint at the Black Rabbit, an extremely popular pub on the Arun River.