Listen to music at Fenton House
Step back in time as you listen to historic instruments being played by our musicians, with the oldest dating back to 1540. Find out more about this unique collection and the experience on offer at Fenton House.
Experience the sound of early music
When you visit Fenton House you'll often be able to listen to the lively notes of harpsichords, spinets, virginals, and clavichords being played by musicians as you explore. Check in with our friendly reception team to find out if we've got any musicians in that day and what time they will be playing.
Our volunteer musicians play the instruments whilst we are open, and most are happy to answer questions about the different styles and quirks of each one. It's a great chance to learn about how a plucked string keyboard instruments works.
The musicians will move around the house, spending time on different instruments, giving you a chance to compare the sound of a virginals to a spinet; or decide which harpsichord strikes a chord with you.
A unique collection of historic instruments
Major Benton Fletcher gifted the National Trust a collection of early keyboard instruments in 1937. Benton Fletcher was passionate about early music being played on the instruments they were written for and, with a background in social work, saw the National Trust as a long term home for his collection.
Major Benton Fletcher was also aware of the costs that would be incurred to upkeep the instruments so he left the Trust funds to help keep the instruments in playing condition. Most are now tuned weekly which makes the collection one of the most accessible of its kind.
If you want to contribute to the costs of keeping the instruments playable for future generations then please make a donation via the website to Fenton House.
The story of the instruments
The instruments date between 1540 - 1925 and some have an unsual history. Benton Fletcher found one in an outhouse in Wales, another was being used as a carpenter's workbench in Florence, whilst he found his first acquisition ‘hidden under a couple of heavy armchairs in a second hand shop' in Wells, Somerset. He had to restore many of the instruments and his commitment to early music has left a lasting legacy for all of us.
Interestingly, the provenance of many of the instruments is open to debate. Benton Fletcher himself was sceptical of some of the claimed attributions and the provenance of some instruments remains unknown to this day.
Things to see and do at Fenton House
Explore Fenton House, one of London’s hidden treasures, a 17th-century house with vibrant ceramics, early keyboard instruments and intricate needlework.
Explore the garden at Fenton House
Discover formal lawns, herbaceous borders, exotic planting, a sunken rose garden, kitchen garden and a 300-year-old orchard in Fenton’s garden: a haven in the middle of Hampstead.
