Saussayd house - the house-museum of the family, who left their pages in the history of Britain. Perhaps not the brightest. But certainly full of courage, love and devotion.

The house was built by Robert Pennington, known for being accompanied by King Charles II in his exile in the Netherlands. He lost his son during an epidemic of bubonic plague, Pennington in 1687 he moved from London to Wimbledon village a few miles from the capital. Here Dutch architects built him a house, which we see now - its interior preserves the memory of generations of life for nearly three and a half centuries.

On both sides of the main entrance are two statues, which are are believed to be sculpted portraits of his wife and daughter of Robert Pennington. The brick house at different times of the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria visited the Prince of Wales Frederick, Lord Byron, Lady Emma Hamilton and her lover, the heroic Admiral Lord Nelson. Change the composition of the family Pennington, it comes in the relationships with other names - with the British Mallory Swedish Munthe, but the house was inviolable.

In 1907, the great granddaughter of Robert Pennington, Hilda Pennington-Mallory, married personal physician of the Swedish royal family Axel Munthe. The Swede was not only a doctor but also a talented writer. One day, he discussed his book "The History of San Michele" (which became a best seller) to the publisher John Murray in the garden Saussayd-house, and he said that a century ago was in the garden of his ancestor's namesake and is also the publisher John Murray discussed with Lord Byron edition the works of the great poet.

Munthe couple's son, Malcolm, became a British soldier who fought in the rear of the Nazis in the occupied Scandinavia and Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. After the war, engaged in a painstaking restoration Saussayd-house, damaged by Nazi bombs and opened it to the public. The mansion is now owned by the descendants of Pennington-Mallory Munte, sometimes they live here, but most of the building - it is a museum. To it fits wonderful wild garden growing without pesticides and herbicides. No wonder it is loved robins, thrushes, finches, great spotted woodpeckers, owls and jays.

Behind a facade hiding a long room furnished XVII century, inherited from the founders of the family nest. On the walls - a superb collection of paintings collected over the centuries. Many items silently testify to the amazing family history is woven into the history of Britain and Europe. On the desktop in the office - photos of family members, in the dining room is covered with a huge table in the music room piano deployed notes on the tables by the windows - fresh flowers from the garden. In the shadow of the departed home slide in its halls we hear echoes of life that will never return.