Described by connoisseurs as an unforgettable experience,
Southside House provides an enchantingly eccentric
backdrop to the lives and loves of generations of the
Pennington Mellor Munthe families. Maintained in
traditional style without intrusive refurbishment and
crowded with family possessions of centuries, Southside
offers a wealth of fascinating family stories. Southside
has associations with Queen Natalie of Serbia and her
son Alexander, and the family also have mementos from
the Duke of Wharton, Lady Hamilton and others.
Southside was re-built in the William and Mary style,
and behind the long façade are the old rooms, still with
much of the furniture which the Penningtons brought
here, and a superb collection of art and historical objects
reflecting centuries of ownership.
John Pennington’s great granddaughter Hilda, married
Axel Munthe, the charismatic Swedish Doctor whose
most famous book,The Story of St Michele, briefly
outsold the bible and remains amongst the ten best
sellers of the 20th century.
The preservation of the house was left to Hilda and her
youngest son, Malcom, who led a life of extraordinary
adventure during the Second World War. A member of the S.O.E, Major Munthe worked behind enemy lines in
Nazi-occupied Scandinavia, and took part in the Allied
landings at Anzio. Suffering from war wounds, the reclusive Major eventually retreated to the safe haven of
Southside, which he painstakingly restored and
transformed into a stage on which his perceptions of
family history were presented.
He devoted the same energy to preserving Hellens, the
family´s country home in Herefordshire.
(also open to the public: www.hellensmanor.co.uk
Malcolm Munthe’s surviving children continue to cherish
Southside House and Hellens through the Pennington-
Mellor-Munthe Charity Trust. Both houses serve their
communities, with concerts, lectures, workshops and
literary evenings, as well as guided tours.
