The Roman Catholic Tichborne family has held the manor since the 12th century. Tichborne House was built shortly after 1803[5] while a longstanding baronetcy (indicating the use of 'Sir') was held by the family. There was a notorious 19th-century legal case of the Tichborne Claimant, in which an English imposter, Arthur Orton, then living in Australia, claimed to be missing Tichborne family member Sir Roger Tichborne.
Other buildings
Almost all of the other buildings are clustered near each other and are listed buildings.[6] They include an Old Rectory,[7] which may indicate chancel repair liability, the Chapel of St Margaret[8] and Tichborne Park House.[9] Near Cheriton is the only Grade II* listed building, Sevington Farmhouse.[10] 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Alresford are a northern small street of cottages, Lady Croft Cottages and Seward's Bridge over the River Itchen and Watercress Line railway.
The north aisle is now railed off to form the Tichborne Chapel, with monuments to members of the manorial family[11]
Inside the chapel is a tomb with full-sized horizontal images of Sir Benjamin Tichborne (d.1621) and his wife Amphillis.
It is rare in being dedicated as a Roman Catholic chapel within a pre-Reformation Anglican Parish Church.[13]
The west tower was added in 1703 and is built of blue and red brick.[11] It has a ring of six bells cast between 1737 and 1887.[4]
Amenities
Tichborne holds a traditional charitable festival called the Tichborne Dole.
Oh main village street, on the north side of the village is the Tichborne Arms pub
Alresford Golf Course,[14] founded 1890, covers much of the north-east, with greens highly rated on golfing websites.[15]