"Come into the garden and forget about the war!"

The garden of Talbot House is one of the most attractive places on the domain. A lot of visitors like to spend some time here. "The largest room of the house", as Tubby called it, served as a resting place where soldiers could meet and get away from the mud, dirt, blood and tears that the war had caused.

Near the house there's a big cellar beneath the surface of the garden. During the war, this proved to be an ideal shelter when Poperinge was being shelled. Although the cellar would probably not have been able to withstand a direct hit, at the very least it offered many women and children some sense of safety and security.

In the back of the garden there is a two story shed. This is where, in 1915, the workman's bench was found that served (and still serves) as the altar of Talbot House. Today, the Garden House has been rebuilt to provide visitors of the house with sleeping facilities.

In 1930, after the Talbot House association purchased the house, a few adjustments were made to the garden. The water supply was improved and a bath house, the Slessorium, was built to provide the many pilgrims passing by with the necessary facilities.

In 2013, the entire garden was renovated and won a number of awards. The original structure was kept and the planting was done with a wink to the past. Today, the clean flower beds and twisting paths in the garden still move every visitor. For the centenary of the House, a special pink Talbot House Rose was created which can be purchased in our shop and admired in the garden.