The Chapel Fund at Talbot House

Preserving and restoring Tommy’s sanctuary in Flanders Fields

Excelsior! Once again! A companion-ladder this time, leading to a loft. Here you are on holier ground perhaps than any, even in the Salient… Perhaps 100,000 during the three years have climbed the stairs before you. Certainly some 20,000 in all have received the Sacrament. Some 800 have been confirmed; some 50 grown men were here baptized. The idlest mind would reverence the place; and you, I know, will kneel. (P.B. Clayton, Tales of Talbot House)

Thank you for joining the Talbotousians in our mission and our challenge: our beloved Chapel, the Upper Room, and its relics urgently need restoration. Therefore, we are launching the “Chapel Fund” to raise €125,000 to preserve this authentic sanctuary and its priceless relics. Your contribution will ensure Talbot House can continue to fulfil its mission to inspire future generations.

Please allow us to set out the challenges which face us, with an overview of the works and items we need funds for.

Talbot House is an old building - the oldest parts of the estate date from the 1750s. Not surprisingly, the building has suffered from the ravages of time. When Revd. Tubby Clayton established Talbot House in 1915, he created his Chapel in the Upper Room, the attic of the House.

Tubby remembers his visitors well: “It’s beastly shaking hands with boys who come in to say “Well goodbye, Padre, in case I don’t come through”, and some have such clear premonitions of death.” The thousands of Talbotousians who would not make it back, led Tubby to refer to his Chapel as the Shrine of the Ypres Salient.

Following the war, from 1929 onwards, the House was established as a living testimony and is still run by the non-profit Talbot House Association. Today, both the House interior and exterior are listed and regularly inspected by government agencies.

In the winter of 2023, with unprecedent rainfall, water seeped through cracks in the brickwork and chimney flashing, causing significant damage to the paint and some of the textiles. Expert advice was sought and temporary repairs were carried out as soon as permission was granted from the authorities. Heritage agencies and roofers do tell us that at least part of the roof will need redoing by 2028 as a more sustainable solution. This will come at a significant cost.

In September 2024, a team of dedicated volunteers, led by the Talbot House handyman, spent four weeks repainting the entire Chapel from scratch. Their exemplary work was testament to their love for the House. Although they offered free help, equipment, paint and travel expenses came at a high cost.

The reconstruction of textiles

In this painting of the chapel from 1917 you can see beautiful red and green hangings, that surround the Chapel’s Carpenter’s Bench. These were gifted by the Bishop of Winchester, Revd. Edward Talbot. The House was founded by his son Revd. Neville Talbot and dedicated to the memory of his other son, the late Lt. Gilbert Talbot. Over time, the hangings became worn and were replaced in the 1970s with look-alikes of less quality. Only a few parts of the original hangings survive today and have been put on display in our permanent exhibition. We aim to recreate the original beauty of these hangings, as they were first seen by the soldiers over a century ago.

Also visible in the painting is the altar frontal, originally blue and white, embroidered with the words Venite Adoremus Dominum (O come, let us adore him), which was also replaced in the 1970s.

Thirdly, we have a banner from Ypres Cathedral, a blue and white piece with the monogram “M” for Mary. It was brought to Talbot House by the Queen’s Westminster Rifles in December 1915 and clearly visible in the 1917 painting. Fragile with age, it is carefully preserved in the archive, but we hope to create a replica to display in the Chapel once again.

Next, there’s the carpet, a black and gold piece purchased in St. Omer in 1916. Hundreds of thousands have walked over it. Heavily worn, it has been thoroughly cleaned and now rests in our archives.

The final piece of textile we would like to make a replica of is a purple frontal with a white cross. This was attached to the side altar during Lent.

We would like to make use of the expertise of Slabbinck, a specialised firm from Bruges to make high quality replicas for all these pieces of textile. The company has an excellent reputation with clients all over the world.

The restoration of books

Apart from the textiles, we have some very valuable books which need specialised restoration if we want to preserve them for generations to come.

Firstly, there is ‘The English Liturgy’, printed in 1930 under the sanction of Bishop Talbot for use in the Upper Room and blessed by him at All Hallows in 1931 in memory of his son Gilbert. Its cover and spine are heavily damaged, and loose pages need to be fixed.

Secondly, ‘The Book of Remembrance and Thanksgiving’ was created with exquisite calligraphy. It took 8 years to make by a team of 23 skilled calligraphists. It is both a memorial to Talbotousians who didn’t make it and a book of thanksgiving for the survivors. It contains nearly 1,000 names and was blessed by Tubby in a Ceremony at All Hallows in 1936. The parchment of this treasured piece now suffers from foxing, which causes spots. It needs careful treatment to preserve its quality.

(Update: the restauration of both ‘The Book of Remembrance & Thanksgiving’ and the ‘The English Liturgy’ has been paid for all ready by Mr. Gilbert Chalk, great-grandson of Bishop Talbot and volunteer at the House and also the Toc H & All Hallows Trust, Tubby’s old parish on Tower Hill, in recognition of the many years of devoted service given to the Trust and Talbot House by Kenneth Prideaux-Brune).

Last but not least there is what we could call our ‘masterpiece’: The Communicants’ Roll, or ‘The Red Book’. It holds the names of over 1,200 men who took communion in the Upper Room during the war. Many were killed later, as we know from Tubby’s writings, and thus it may well be that at Talbot House they put down their signature for the very last time.

The book survived WW1 and the 1940 London blitz, but got heavily damaged. It has become very fragile and is in need of careful restoration. Following the advice of the Flanders Heritage Institute, we invited a specialist book restorer to write a report. The 28-page report lists more than 20 different problems. Our aim is to preserve the book, have it digitized and add the names to our online database of Talbotousians.

Further photos, reports and information can be obtained from us on request.

Financial overview

Please find below an overview of the costs involved with all these works.

1) Infrastructure

Roof (emergency work & future reroofing) € 63,000

Painting € 14,000

Carpentry & glass € 6,000

2a) Artefacts - textiles

Hangings € 14,850

Blue & white frontal € 3,350

Purple frontal € 2,800

Banner € 2,000

Carpet € 5,000

2b) Artefacts – Books

English Liturgy € 1,500

Book of Remembrance € 750

Communicants’ Roll € 11,750

Total € 125,000

Thank you

The magnificent Chapel remains the heart of Talbot House, connecting past, present, and future.

It is not only a place of historical significance but also a living space that continues to provide comfort and connection. In recent years, it has hosted numerous moments of reflection and spiritual solace, including baptisms. In times of unimaginable hardship, the Chapel was a sanctuary. Today, it is our responsibility to honour that legacy and ensure it endures for generations to come.

We are inviting you to be part of this journey. If you feel inspired to support us in any way, please join us in preserving this legacy and join the Talbotousians. Together, we can ensure that Talbot House—and the Chapel—continues to inspire for generations to come.

Please find below an overview of the rewards we offer in exchange for your contribution. Please contact us on [email redacted] for more information or to claim your reward. We can not contact you through the GoFundMe portal.

Rewards for backers on GoFundMe:

Talbotousian Bronze Membership: Join Tubby’s friends and become a supporter of the House. You receive free entry for the rest of the year and are invited to all the events, several of which are free of charge. Moreover, you get to bring a friend on a visit.

The Upper Room Memorial Book: This unique large size overview of the Chapel and its priceless artefacts was produced at the centenary of the House in 2015 and dedicated in memory of the last original Talbotousian, Pte. Harry Patch. Only 250 copies have ever been printed. Free postage for the book and Bronze Membership are included (more details above).

Special Archives & Artefacts story tour: Join the Talbot House Manager or Archivist on a tour behind the scenes of Talbot House. Together we take a closer look at some of the authentic artefacts in our collection and link them to stories in our Chapel. The tour is concluded with delicious homemade cake straight from the Talbot House AGA. Timings for the tour can be discussed and you are welcome to bring as many as 10 people.

Rededication service: Join us for a very special rededication service in the Upper Room

when the works are complete. Also included is Bronze Membership of the Talbotousians and a copy of the Upper Room Memorial Book (see previous awards).

Corporate Membership: Become a Talbotousian Partner and pledge your support to the House. Various corporate rewards (there are various options for corporate rewards) are optional, depending on your annual contribution. Please get in touch for more options.

Talbotousians Joint Life Membership: Join Tubby’s friends and become a supporter of the House FOR LIFE. You and your family (resident children included) receive free entry for life and are invited to all the events, several of which are free. Moreover, you can bring a friend on a visit. Also included is a copy of the Upper Room Memorial Book and an invitation for one person to our rededication service (for both, see previous awards).

Excelsior!: Join us at Talbot House for a wonderful trip for two. During your stay in one of historic bedrooms, you are taken on an special artefacts story tour by our archivist Jan Louagie MBE. The next day, Slabbinck from Bruges, the expert textile company producing the replicas for the Chapel, is inviting you to the workshop to have a look at the production process. Of course this is followed by a delicious lunch and a tour of the historic city centre of one of Flanders jewels.

Moreover, you are awarded Joint Life Membership of the Talbotousians, a free copy of our Upper Room Memorial Book and two invitations to a rededication service (more info, see above).