Tichborne Day Walk 19th June 2019

This walk led by Denis started from Cheriton Playing Fields car park and headed towards Tichborne, passing along the beautiful River Itchen with its source only a mile away near Hinton Ampner House. The Itchen is one of the world's finest trout streams, with fishing rights jealously guarded for centuries. After walking through some of Tichborne Park, we spent some time trout spotting in the Itchen before heading uphill past a huge poppy-field before descending again to The Tichborne Arms for a much deserved lunch. Well satisfied, our next destination was Tichborne Church with its original box pews dating back at least 400 years. Next was the Allan King Way to Gander Down before finally descending back to the playing fields of Cheriton.

There is much to be written about the Tichborne family which must rank amongst the great families of Hampshire. They can claim a heritage that is documented as far back as the C12th. All through the Reformation, the Tichborne family clung to their Roman Catholic faith. So did many others and were persecuted for it. Any hint of Catholicism in parish churches was removed and that is why the Tichborne Family Chapel is an extraordinary thing. The chapel is a rare Roman Catholic chapel inside a pre-Reformation church. It’s survival is incredible and there are only another two in England. To survive the Reformation, the family must have been in high favour with their monarch. Sir Benjamin Tichborne, High Sheriff of Hampshire 1579 – 1580 showed great loyalty to his monarchs and was granted a concession in 1621 by King James I, in appreciation of Sir Benjamin’s help in securing Hampshire for the king at his accession in 1603. Thanks to www.hampshire-history.com for this information.