Southside House facts for kids
Southside House is a 17th-century house located on the south side of Wimbledon Common. It is Grade II* listed.
After his son died in the Great Plague of London, Robert Pennington, a friend of Charles II, built Southside House (on Woodhayes Road near Crooked Billet) as a safe haven for his family.
Inside, the house contains many examples of 17th century furniture, and memorabilia connected to the Pennington family.
The house passed through the Pennington-Mellor family, eventually coming into the possession of Malcolm Munthe, the son of Hilda Pennington-Mellor and Axel Munthe. During the Second World War Southside House was damaged by German bombs, and Malcolm Munthe devoted his life to restoring the house and another family property, Hellens, creating a private world in which he could enact his perceptions of family history and traditions.
Southside House is still run by Robert Pennington's descendants, serving partly as a residence but also as a museum, administered by the Pennington-Mellor-Munthe Charity Trust, and hosting tour groups as well as educational activities, cultural events such as lectures, concerts, and literary discussions. Southside House participates in local festivals and also host many charitable events. It is used as a location for feature films, commercials and stills shoots.
