A-HA Visit to Clandon Park and Hatchlands Park

In April members of the Group travelled to the Guildford area to visit two National Trust properties. The first was Clandon Park, which you will probably recall that the house was badly damaged by fire in 2015.

​ The National Trust has undertaken a restoration project to restore the principal rooms to their original 18th century design, and the upper floor to be modernised to hold exhibitions and events. Restoration to date has concentrated on stabilising the surviving structures and enclosing the whole building with 32 miles of scaffolding, with sheeting to protect it from the weather.  Members were surprised at just seeing a skeleton of the original structure. This prompted some debate on the value of restoring such badly damaged buildings. ​ However, they had to concede that the restoration was probably conditional on the terms of the insurance claim.

​The group then travelled a few miles to another National Trust property, Hatchlands Park. 

After lunch we had an enjoyable walk around the bluebell woods and then proceeded to the house.  There were a limited number of rooms open to the public, which contained part of the Cobbe family collection of old masters and keyboard instruments. The paintings included works by Titian, van Dyck and Gainsborough; also of interest was an anonymous work that is claimed to be the only life portrait of Shakespeare. The exhibition of keyboard instruments included ones owned and played by famous composers including J.C. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Elgar and Chopin. The oldest instrument was a Harpsichord dating from 1622, and there was also a piano played by Marie Antoinette.  Most of the instruments are maintained in full working order and often played at recitals by leading pianists.  The visit was enhanced by an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide.
 
Don’t forget to look at U3A Anton website, to see what is coming up over the next few months!
 
BobTaylor & Rosemary Crumplin
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