Mussenden Temple

Mussenden Temple is a small circular building located on the cliffs of Binevenagh, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland. It was built in 1785 and forms part of the estate of Frederick Augustus Hervey, Bishop of Derry and 4th Earl of Bristol. Built as a library and modelled on the Temple of Vesta in Italy, it is dedicated to the memory of Hervey's cousin Frideswide Mussenden. Over the years the erosion of the cliff face at Downhill has brought Mussenden Temple ever closer to the edge, and in 1997 the National Trust carried out cliff stabilisation work to prevent the loss of the building. The inscription around the building reads, "Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore The rolling ship, and hear the tempest roar" The quotation is from Lucretius. Now part of the National Trust property, the grounds encompassing Mussenden Temple, and its manor house (Downhill Castle) are open to the public all year, dawn to dusk. The temple itself is open on certain days, and admission is free. The Temple offers magnificent views over Downhill and Benone beaches.