Mussenden Temple was built by Frederick Hervey, Bishop of Derry in honour of Mrs Frideswide Mussenden, the married sister of his cousin Hervey Bruce. The Bishop himself was also married and scandal was rife that an affair was going on. However, it is thought that they had nothing more than a platonic relationship. Sadly, Mrs Mussenden died at the age of 22, before the temple was completed. Bishop Hervey established a library in the temple and beneath the building a room for Catholic priests to say Mass – an example of his liberal attitude towards the Catholic Church.
Bofors Anit-Aircraft Gun, WW2: Colerainebc.gov.uk
This is another extraordinary spot in Northern Ireland with amazing views (never in short supply in NI). This is a very expansive setting with walking paths leading to and from features. We were again met with very few people; only a couple of occasions we waited out people traffic to take a photo. The tower structure in the gallery below was both and ice house (on the bottom) and a dovecote (on the top). There was plentiful indications of bird activity here. The temple itself looks quite grand at the top of the sea cliffs. It was closed for restoration work so we didn’t have an opportunity to go inside.
Walled Gardens
Walled Gardens
Walled Gardens
Dovecote & Ice house
Dovecote & Ice house
Dovecote & Ice house
Dovecote & Ice house
Bridge to Dovecote
View of Downhill Strand
View of Downhill Strand
Mussenden Temple f
Mussenden Temple f
Mussenden Temple f
Mussenden Temple f
Downhill House
Downhill House was a mansion built in the 18th century for Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol at Downhill, Northern Ireland. The house was started in 1775 and was a wonderful building in its hey day with “as many windows as there are days in the year”. Inside was a huge library, walls painted with frescoes and a large collection of paintings hung in the corridors, including works by Vandyke, Raphael and Tintoretto. In one corridor there was also a great organ. However, there was a disastrous fire in 1851 and the library and many of the statues were destroyed, though most of the paintings were rescued. Downhill was restored between 1870 and 1874 by John Lanyon and was lived in by the Bruce family until 1922. During WWII it was used as billets for RAF men and women. It was sold in 1944, after which it fell into disrepair.
The Bishop’s House
Bishops House
The Bishops House at Downhill Demesne (also known as Downhill House or Downhill Castle) is an immense as well as impressive structure. I can only image what it must have looked like in its day. This photo helps some and the photos in the gallery below will give you more insight.
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops Housee
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops House
Bishops House
The Mausoleum was built a distance away from the house to the South. Even at half its original height, it is still enormous. The video below will tell you more about this grand structure; it’ll only take a wee bit of time (2:09) to watch.
The Mausoleum
The Mausoleum
The Mausoleum
More on the Mausoleum…
Lion’s Gate was one of the access points to the property. Bishops Gate is the other access point. We elected to not visit the Black Glen Pond and Belvedere areas of the property as time was ticking away and we had to be on our way…to the next area of exploration in the Republic of Ireland. We very much enjoyed Northern Ireland. If I could redo the trip, I would have stayed in Northern Ireland an entire week and spent another week in the Republic of Ireland.
Downhill Strand (Beach) is part of an 11km stretch of sand and surf. This stretch of beach is one of the most scenic in Ireland and visitors can enjoy views to Counties Donegal, Antrim and Londonderry. Downhill Beach is used in the filming of Game of Thrones as Dragonstone, where the Seven Idols of Westeros were burned and Melisandre, flames dancing into the night sky, proclaimed: “For the night is dark and full of terrors.” – wikipedia
Downhill Strand is an impressive stretch of sand. Had the B&B owner not been with us in the car, I would have never driven out on this beach at low tide through a somewhat vigorously-flowing shallow river. It was worth the gamble. A great view of Mussenden Temple (more on this in next post) from the beach.
Downhill Strand
Close-up of Mussenden Temple
A wider view of the cliffs the Mussenden Temple rests upon
Beautiful beach
A wider view of the beach and Mussenden Temple
More beach
From Downhill Strand, we traveled to higher ground to take in the sunset. This location was very much off the beaten path and not on our itinerary. Always engage the B&B proprietors and let them know what types of things you wish to see and do. We were very thankful that Brian took the time out of his evening to guide us to the beach and then this overlook spot. You cannot beat service like this. Brian also shared countless facts and history about these places. If traveling to Northern Ireland, I highly recommend a stay with Kilmail County Chalet.
Magilligan is a peninsula that lies in the northwest of County Londonderry,Northern Ireland, at the entrance to Lough Foyle. It is a huge 79,000 acres coastal site, part British army firing range, part nature reserve. It gets its name from “MacGilligans country”, which formed a major part of the barony of Keenaght. – wikipedia
This was a sight to see indeed. I never before imagined what just under 80,000 acres stretched out in front of me would be like. The overlook is off of Bishops Rd only six minutes West of Downhill. It is perfectly situated atop the basalt cliffs and offers magnificent views any time of day. Besides all of the natural beauty, there is much World War 2 historical significance in this area as well.
Large numbers of American, Canadian and British forces were stationed at airfields at Limavady and Ballykelly to defend the north coast from German U boats. Army forces received pre-invasion training on Magilligan Strand in preparation for D-Day. – wikipedia
The Glens of Antrim, known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens (valleys), that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim. The main towns and villages in the Glens are Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall, Waterfoot, Carnlough and Glenarm.
Toilet back rest
“An area of outstanding beauty” is an understatement. We traveled through and around Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall and Waterfoot. In Waterfoot we stopped at a filling station to get some coffee and use the toilet. Check it out – back rest and all. Fancy. From Waterfoot we headed West to Glenariff Forest Park. From the park we navigated the side-roads atop of the glens all the way back to Ballymoney where we were staying. The Gorse hedge rows lined most roads throughout County Antrim. The were nearly in full bloom in mid-April. The brilliant yellow flowers provided a pop of contrasting color to the lush green and drab brown that made up most of the landscape. Baby lamb season was in full swing as too. We stopped many times to see them throughout the trip.
Kinbane Head wasn’t a planned stop; we just happen to see the sign and decided to check it out. This is a lovely location along the coastal road to stop and wander around. It is just a short mile off of the main road. Prepare yourself for a bit of a hike. There are lots of stairs. Take your time and enjoy the view in both directions. If it is windy in the parking lot be prepared for what it will be like sea-side. The wind along the coast is a force to behold. Be extra careful along the edges of steep drop-offs. Kinbane Castle stands in ruin today; slowly waning away to ruble.
Kinbane Castle was built by Colla of the MacDonnell clan, the clan who also built many other castles and buildings in the area. This was the time when the MacDonnell’s were the most powerful clan along the Antrim Coast. It was completed in about 1547 but was destroyed in fighting with the English only eight years later. Colla himself died in the castle or the vicinity in 1558 and is believed to be buried in the Bonamargy Friary, not too far away. There is a story that a group of English soldiers were trapped during a siege of the castle. Fires were lit by the besieged to call for help and locals responded and arrived armed surrounding the besieging soldiers who were massacred in the area in or near a hollow cave under the castle called the “Hollow of the English.” The castle was rebuilt and remained inhabited until the 1700’s. It was then abandoned and fell into decay. The only thing that stands today is the ruins of a small tower and few remnants of the wall.
