Downhill Demense, County Derry

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The wealthy and flamboyantly eccentric Earl Bishop of Derry, Fredrick Augustus Hervey (1730–1803), chose the beautifully dramatic headland of Downhill in County Derry to build his grand country house. He spent a fortune on the finest architects and designers, and had the grounds beautifully landscaped with follies and iconic features.

He filled the house with artwork by European masters like Rubens, Raphael, Murrillo and Tintoretto, and it became one of the key venues for high society in the 18th century. One of the estate’s most iconic features, the famous Mussenden Temple, perches on the edge of the cliff above the sea. It was named after Mrs Frideswide Mussenden, the Earl Bishop’s cousin and close friend, who died shortly before its completion.

The temple was designed by Michael Shanahan, a master mason from Co Cork. The Latin inscription around the dome is from Lucretius, it translates to:

Tis pleasant to watch from the land the great struggling of others when the winds whip up the waves on a mighty sea.

The temple was the Bishop’s library, and though he himself was a Protestant earl bishop, Hervey allowed the room below the library to be used for Catholic mass. Unfortunately a devastating fire swept through the mansion in 1851 and destroyed most of the contents. It was rebuilt and lived in until the 1940s, but it never regained the majestic opulence of Hervey’s tenure. Today it is a beautiful place to explore, where you will encounter famous features like the Mussenden Temple, the Lion’s Gate and the mansion itself.

You’ll find Downhill on the scenic A2 Coastal Road, just north-west of Coleraine at 55.162320, -6.813288. It is on the railway line between Derry and Coleraine, described by Michael Palin as “one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world” – it certainly looks like a nice commute to me!

I really hope you enjoy our blog. If you'd like to discover more stories about Irish history, archaeology and culture and if you'd like to support us you can download audioguides from my website www.abartaheritage.ie, where we have 25 guides that tell the story of Irish heritage and the majority are absolutely free to download. 

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have any suggestions for great sites to visit? I’d love to hear them, please do leave a comment below or you can contact me at info@abartaaudioguides.com