| Where: | Tichborne, Hampshire at Tichborne House |
| When: | 25th March |
| Time: | 2.30 pm |
Tichborne Dole is one of the longest established charity doles in the country, with a great legend attached to it. As Lady Mabella lay on her deathbed in the twelfth century, she requested that she should be able to leave a charitable bequest of land to provide flour for the needy locals; her husband Sir Roger said that she could have all the land that she could walk around while carrying a single burning brand from the fire. He didn’t expect that she would encircle 23 acres before the flame expired but as the lady also cursed anyone who interfered with the annual dole, he didn’t dare to refuse her request. So the story goes, anyway – and when the family discontinued the custom temporarily, disaster befell them! Today locals are still entitled to claim a gallon of flour per head from outside Tichborne House on March 25th ; the flour is blessed by the Priest, and distributed from a large wooden bin. It’s a condition of the lease of the house that any tenant must continue the custom so it looks safe for the future.
Helpful Hints
Lady Mabella is also known as Isabella and her family tombs are in the little church nearby. Tichborne is also famous for the Tichborne Claimant case, when an Australian impostor tried to impersonate the long lost heir and claim the inheritance of the estate. Dole day is the only time that Tichborne House garden is normally open to the public.
The Dole is always on 25th regardless of which day of the week it falls upon, except in exceptional circumstances (in 2020 & 2021 the Dole was given out privately without a public event owing to the pandemic).
There is limited parking near the house on the day, or you can do what we did and visit the nearby Tichborne Arms for lunch – if you ask nicely you can leave your car there for the Dole as well. The Dole lasts around half an hour depending on how many claimants turn up – and if there’s some left after the eligible locals have bagged their flour, visitors are allowed to collect some too (but you need to provide your own receptacles like bags, tubs or pillowcases).
Click here for the clergy who Bless the Dole: https://www.facebook.com/catholicwinchester
Thanks to Paula Gerrard for the first 4 photos!
View this location on the map.
I saw the Tichborne Dole this year, and it’s good custom to visit. Tichborne is a beautiful village – a scattering of thatched houses in rolling farmland. It was freezing cold, but luckily there is an excellent pub with a log burning stove just around the corner from Tichborne House. Everyone gathers outside the house, the flour is blessed by the priest, with incense and holy water, and then the names of those eligible are read. The flour is kept in a huge wooden box, and is doled out by gallon measures. You have to take something to carry it in, and there were a lot of buckets, bins and clean pillow cases in evidence. If you are lucky, and there is some flour left at the end, it is given out to visitors. I was pleased to get a gallon at the end; it’s a lot of flour!
Hi Avril. Have been looking at your photos of Tichborne Dole. I got some good ones myself to update since my last visit in 2011. Thanks for lift which gave me time to explore the riverside walks of Alresford rather than being tied up with Mid Hants Railway. Ironically on return to Winchester the modern trains were in a chaotic state so not a straightforward short journey as anticipated! I cant do the Watercress Festival in May. Have just looked on Victory Morris website and noted their day of dance is 20th July. That is in Portsmouth with good locations including beside HMS Victory. Regards Hugh
Hi Hugh,
It was good to catch up with you yesterday – glad you got some good pics (we were very lucky with all that blue sky & sunshine!). We think apple crumble will be a good use for some of the flour…Will keep on the look out for you as we’re bound to see you again at some fabulous event soon I expect!
Best wishes,
Averil
Hi Avril As with a lot of other imminent events Tichborne Dole is cancelled this year. The Mid Hants Railway is closed until end of May but Alresford Watercress festival is being rearranged for 20th September so hopefully things will be back to normality by then. Did have a look of your video of last year and I am featured in it! Regards Hugh.
Thanks for that Hugh – I was wondering if it would be on or not…but surely they’re running a bit of a risk cancelling, what with the curse and everything? Wouldn’t like to be in their position….I’ll get the info on the Dole and the watercress festival on site now – sadly it’s all cancellations and postponements right now. Yes , we spotted you in the video! Think you’ll be in another for the Penny Scramble at Honiton but that one is still awaiting being edited along with lots of others 🙂
Averil
Priest looks oddly like Mark Gatiss…
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t him…🤣
Hi, I have a story that involves the Tichborne Dole. I am an amateur songwriter. I had always wanted to write some folk songs and I finally managed to achieve that objective. I chose 12 events and or traditions in the UK and wrote about one for each month of the year. For March on my collection called ‘Calendar’ is ‘Here’s To Maybella’. Sorry about the spelling but on the research I read that was how it was spelt. The song was played on Forest FM by Peter Aston who hosts ‘Forest Folk’. When he played the song ‘Here’s To Maybella’ it was heard by a lady in Ohio, USA. She turned out to be a descendent of the Tichborne family. She contacted the radio station in Verwood and then contacted me. She flew over with her husband and we met at Tichborne and spent a few wonderful hours exploring the village. Although the lady’s husband has sadly since died I remain in contact with her. She is actually staying with us, here in Bournemouth for a few days at the end of August during her tour of Europe.My song is still played most years on or close to 25th March on the local radio. I hope that you enjoy listening. https://soundcloud.com/mavis-ellen-jackson/heres-to-maybella.
What an amazing story – thanks for sharing!
Best wishes,
Averil