Talbot House

About the museum

Talbot House was built in the mid-eighteenth century by the hop-merchant family Lebbe in Poperinge. During the First World War this small town was the nearest safe town to Ypres, and it welcomed more than a quarter of a million English-speaking soldiers; they called it “Little Paris”. In 1915 the brewer Maurice Coevoet, who had bought the house in 1911, fled the violence of war, and the house was rented to the British Army.

Chaplain Philip “Tubby” Clayton opened a soldiers’ club there on 11 December 1915, intended as an alternative to the rowdy nightlife of the town. The club was named Talbot House in memory of Gilbert Talbot, who fell in July 1915. In the house there were no ranks: a sign on the door of the chaplain’s room said that whoever entered left all rank behind. In this way it became a place where soldiers could briefly forget the war, with among other things a concert hall, a chapel and a garden.

The house, also known as Toc H, is today a living museum and a place of encounter. A permanent exhibition tells how the house came into being. Visitors explore The Old House with a tablet, with stories, videos and original objects. There are two film screenings, a garden and a temporary exhibition in the Slessorium. The house is run by a small team and a large group of volunteers; you can also stay overnight.

Highlights

• The Old House with its original rooms, including the chaplain’s room and Tubby’s Dining Room
• Concert Hall with a musical show, and the chapel
• Permanent exhibition on the origins of the house
• Tablet tour for adults and a digital story trail for children
• Quiet garden with garden games
• Overnight stay in the museum’s guesthouse

Permanent exhibitions

• Een Huis van Mensen – The permanent exhibition tells how the house came into being and shows stories and original objects from the First World War.
• The Old House – The historic house, including the Concert Hall, Tubby’s Dining Room, the chapel and the garden, which you explore with a tablet.

Founded

1915

Director

Simon Louagie

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On the first Sunday of the month (Museumzondag) admission is free for residents of Poperinge on presentation of their identity card; the Hop Museum is also free that day.

The ticket includes a cup of coffee or tea. Free admission with a valid museum pass (museumPASSmusées). For groups there are combined tickets with the In Flanders Fields Museum and the Passchendaele Museum. West Flemish schools can receive at least 60% off the admission price through a subsidy from the province. You can also buy tickets online in advance.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

In 2026 the museum received recognition as a museum approved by and for children. Children follow the digital story trail ‘Op avontuur met soldaat Arthur’ on a tablet, searching for the house cat Duchess. In the house you can play the piano and chess, and in the garden there are garden games.

Getting there & parking

The museum address for your navigation is Pottestraat 5; the postal address of Talbot House is Gasthuisstraat 43.

Amenities & dining

With the ticket you get a free cup of coffee or tea. For guests and groups there are an English breakfast or continental breakfast and a Westhoek picnic.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit