Description

The Old House

The Old House will undoubtedly be the highlight of your visit. Get ready for an unforgettable experience in a museum where history is in every corner and the past lives on undisturbed.

Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of yesteryear, enjoy the authentic decor and be entranced by the captivating stories and entertaining anecdotes that you discover on every floor and in every room.

All rank abandon ye who enter here

A sentence that perfectly summarizes the spirit of the House. Whoever entered Talbot House did so as a human being, not as a soldier or officer. Tubby insisted that the house should be a place where people could forget about the war for a while. Orders were out of the question. The sign next to the front door saying 'To pessimists, way out!' speaks volumes in that respect.

Keep your eyes open, because The Old House is full of signs like this with short jokes on them that subtly convey a message. Discover them all during your visit, along with the story behind them. 

Ground floor

Your journey of discovery through The Old House starts on the ground floor, where you will be welcomed in the impressive entrance hall. Just like then, visitors come and go. You will be warmly welcomed by our caretakers, who will be happy to treat you to a free cup of coffee or tea and a chat.

Take a seat in the Dining Hall, enjoy the view of the Garden or give free rein to your musicality at our authentic piano. Browse the books in the library in the Middle Room, take a look in the kitchen where meals for the guests are still prepared today or think a few steps ahead at the chess board in the Lounge.

First floor

Continue your tour, climb the stairs and discover some of the bedrooms in The Old House, such as the Dunkirk Room or the Chaplain's Room. Rooms with a name and a story. Many soldiers stayed here at the time and you can still spend the night here as a guest. A unique concept, in the middle of an authentic atmosphere. Click here for more information about staying at the House.

Second floor

One floor higher you will find even more authenticity. Discover Pettifer's Den, the room where Arthur Pettifer, Tubby's right-hand man, stayed for years. Before you continue, take a look at the two remaining rooms and imagine what it would have been like here in the past. If these walls could talk…

The Upper Room

A steep staircase takes you to the attic, the last stop in The Old House, but not the least. In this chapel you will discover an original organ and the altar that once served as a carpenter's workbench. But above all you experience the atmosphere of that time, the philosophy of the House, the solidarity and brotherhood. It's in the air, it's still alive.