Built in the 18th century by an important family, Talbot House became a place of rest for soldiers during the First World War. Two British army chaplains, the Reverend Philip (nicknamed ‘Tubby’) Clayton and the Reverend Neville Talbot, created a sort of soldiers’ club that offered a period of rest and relaxation for soldiers on the front line. The garden, which Tubby Clayton called “the biggest room in the house” was a real haven of peace that offered soldiers an escape from the mud of the front and the ruins of the town.

In 1930, a generous donor purchased the house and gave it to the Talbot House Association, which turned it into a memorial for soldiers who fought in the First World War. Today, the house and garden have regained the way they looked in 1914-18. The original garden layout with its arc-shaped paths and natural paving has been restored. The trees retain their central place as do the plant beds, inspired by the 1930 garden plans.

Today, Talbot House and its garden are an integral part of any Great War trail in Flanders. The Louise Vanden Bulcke Fund awarded a prize to this remarkable restoration project, enabling this peaceful site to regain its authenticity. An initiative of the Talbot House Association, in collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.