Hatchlands, a property of the National Trust, stands in a handsome, wooded park, landscaped by Humphrey Repton, and is just 23 miles from London. Splendid rooms designed c. 1758  by Robert Adam are furnished with the Cobbe Collection of Old Master paintings and composer instruments.

Alec Cobbe formed the collection of some 50 historic keyboard instruments during the last forty years, his purpose being to assemble instruments by makers who were highly regarded or patronised by composers. Eighteen of the instruments were actually owned or played by some of the greatest creators of classical music, such as Henry Purcell, Johann Christian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Fryderik Chopin, Franz Liszt, Georges Bizet, Gustav Mahler and Edward Elgar - the largest group of such composer-related instruments to be seen in one place anywhere in the world.

The instruments are maintained in playing condition and are used for concerts. In 1997 they were given to the Cobbe Collection Trust, a charity which aims to enable musicians and audiences to hear music sounding as nearly as possible to what the composers themselves would have heard.

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Instruments in the collection include:

Harpsichord by Andreas Ruckers, Antwerp, 1636. Ravalement by Henri Hemsch, Paris, 1763.
Virginals by John Player, London, 1664, Probably from the Court of King Charles II.
Maintained by Purcell.
Square Pianoforte by Johannes Zumpe and Gabriel Buntebart, London, 1777-1778.
Taken to France by Johann Christian Bach.
Grand Pianoforte by Conrad Graf, Vienna, c. 1836.
Square Pianoforte by John Broadwood and Sons, London, 1844. Used and signed by Elgar.
Grand Pianoforte by Ignace Pleyel 1846, owned by Chopin.
>> This instrument is featured on www.timesonline.co.uk <<
Grand Pianoforte by Erard, London 1843. This instrument belonged to Chopin’s pupil, Jane Stirling.

For a comprehensive look at the Collection please see list of instruments in the menu below.