{"id":7920,"date":"2016-06-16T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/?p=7920"},"modified":"2017-11-12T16:17:33","modified_gmt":"2017-11-12T21:17:33","slug":"downhill-demesne-mussenden-temple-bishops-house-county-derrylondonderry-%e2%80%8ediscoverni%e2%80%ac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/downhill-demesne-mussenden-temple-bishops-house-county-derrylondonderry-%e2%80%8ediscoverni%e2%80%ac\/","title":{"rendered":"DOWNHILL DEMESNE – COUNTY DERRY\/LONDON DERRY – NORTHER IRELAND #\u200eDiscoverNI\u202c"},"content":{"rendered":"

Downhill Demesne<\/h1>\n

Mussenden Temple<\/h2>\n

Mussenden Temple<\/a> 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Bofors<\/a>
Bofors Anit-Aircraft Gun, WW2: Colerainebc.gov.uk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is\u00a0another extraordinary spot in Northern Ireland with amazing views (never in short supply in NI). \u00a0This is a very expansive setting with walking paths leading to and from features. \u00a0We were again met with very few people; only a couple of occasions we waited\u00a0out people traffic to take a photo. \u00a0The tower structure in the gallery below was both and ice house (on the bottom) and a dovecote <\/a>(on the top). \u00a0There was plentiful indications of bird activity here. \u00a0The temple itself looks quite grand at the top of the sea cliffs. \u00a0It was closed for restoration work so we didn’t have an opportunity to go inside.<\/p>\n

\"Walled <\/a>
Walled Gardens <\/div> <\/div>
\"Walled <\/a>
Walled Gardens <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Walled <\/a>
Walled Gardens <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Dovecote <\/a>
Dovecote & Ice house <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Dovecote <\/a>
Dovecote & Ice house <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Dovecote <\/a>
Dovecote & Ice house <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Dovecote <\/a>
Dovecote & Ice house <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bridge <\/a>
Bridge to Dovecote <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"View <\/a>
View of Downhill Strand <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"View <\/a>
View of Downhill Strand <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Mussenden <\/a>
Mussenden Temple f <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Mussenden <\/a>
Mussenden Temple f <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Mussenden <\/a>
Mussenden Temple f <\/div> <\/div>
\"Mussenden <\/a>
Mussenden Temple f <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Downhill House<\/h1>\n

Downhill House<\/a> 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Bishop’s House<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Bishops<\/a>
Bishops House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Bishops House at Downhill Demesne <\/a>(also known as Downhill House or Downhill Castle)\u00a0is an immense as well as impressive structure. \u00a0I can only image what it\u00a0must have looked like in its day. \u00a0This photo helps some and the photos in the gallery below will give you more insight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops Housee <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bishops <\/a>
Bishops House <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

The\u00a0Mausoleum was built\u00a0a distance away from the house to the South. \u00a0Even at half its original height, it is still enormous. \u00a0The video below will tell you more about this grand structure; it’ll only take a wee bit of time (2:09) to watch.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/a>
The Mausoleum <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The Mausoleum <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The Mausoleum <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

More on the Mausoleum…<\/h2>\n