Arundel Walk / Siúlán Arundel

Arundel Walk / Siúlán Arundel

Arundel Street, Walk, and Court (Grosvenor Road area, West Belfast)

Origin of Name: The name "Arundel" may be taken from the historic town and castle of Arundel in West Sussex, England. This was a common practice during the Victorian expansion of Belfast, when new streets were frequently named after English places or aristocratic titles. Other nearby streets like Venice, Genoa, and Naples reflect a similar naming trend.

Historical Timeline:

• Pre-1874: Not listed in the 1860–61 Adair's Directory, indicating Arundel Street did not yet exist.
• November 1874: Belfast News-Letter confirms 17 houses were being constructed on Arundel Street by developer Henry Dempster, alongside Grosvenor Street.
• September 1875: Weekly Examiner references Arundel Street as an established residential address.
• 1877: The Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory lists Arundel Street with a full set of residents, confirming it was fully occupied and part of the city’s residential street grid.

Redevelopment and Legacy: 

By the 1970s, Arundel Street and the surrounding area had fallen into disrepair. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) undertook a major redevelopment of the Grosvenor Road area. As part of this regeneration, Arundel Street was demolished and replaced with modern housing.

To preserve local identity and memory, the name "Arundel" was retained in the newly named:

• Arundel Walk — a pedestrian walkway with surrounding housing.
• Arundel Court — a cul-de-sac cluster of homes adjacent to Arundel Walk.

These new developments were in place by 1979–1980, as confirmed by housing records and a Belfast News-Letter appointment notice for a Resident Warden at "Arundel House, Roden Street" (3 April 1980).

Irish Language Forms: On bilingual signage:

• Arundel Walk appears as Siúlán Arundel.
• Arundel Court appears as Cúirteanna Arundel.

Conclusion: 

The Arundel name in Belfast spans over 150 years of history. From a Victorian-era residential street established by 1874, it has endured through redevelopment and still identifies a living, residential community in west Belfast.

Sources:

• Belfast News-Letter (3 Nov 1874, 3 Apr 1980)
• Weekly Examiner (4 Sep 1875)
• Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory (1877)
• OSNI Historical Third Edition Map (1900–1932)
• Belfast City Council Street Naming Policy
• PRONI historical maps and directories