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Mussenden Temple, Northern Ireland By Adrian O’ Neill (wuser10) –

Top 10 remarkable facts about Mussenden temple

Mussenden Temple is located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry. It is high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland. The temple is a small and circular building that was inaugurated in 1785 and forms part of the Downhill Demesne. Here are ten remarkable facts about this amazing temple.

1 It was built by the Earl-Bishop

Frederick Augustus who was 4^th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry financed the construction of the temple, using in part, revenue from the bishopric of Derry. The Earl-Bishop鈥檚 architect was Michael Shanahan, an Irish master mason-turned architect. The temple was built in 1785 and forms part of the Downhill Demesne.

2 Named in honor of the Earl-Bishop鈥檚 cousin

Mussenden Temple CC BY-SA 2.0 –

The Temple was named in honor of the Earl鈥檚 Bishop nice, whom he referred to as his “cher cousin”, Mrs. Frideswide Mussenden. The Earl Bishop greatly admired her beauty. He remarked that “I intend to build a Grecian temple in Frideswide’s honor…I intend to build it on the edge of a cliff. It will give employment to the poor and the district.” The Earl Bishop was heartbroken when Frideswide died.

3 There鈥檚 an inscription around the building

There is an inscription around the building that reads, 鈥淪uave, Mari Magno turbantibus aequora ventis  e terra magnum alterius spectare laborem.” This inscription translates to “Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore The troubled sailor, and hear the tempests roar.” 

It is a quotation from Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.1鈥�2. Lucretius was a Roman poet and philosopher whose only known work is the philosophical poem De Rerum Natura. The De Rerum Natura is a first-century BC didactic poem written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters which are divided into six untitled books and explore Epicurean physics through poetic language and metaphors.

4 It鈥檚 now part of The National Trust property and open to the public

Mussenden Temple By D LN –

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne are now part of The National Trust. The temple got included on the 1998 World Monuments Watch when it was just in imminent danger of collapsing into the sea.

The National Trust carried out a feasibility study in 1997 to assess the conditions of the rock. They established short and long-term plans to secure the historic structure. The grounds encompassing Mussenden Temple and the Downhill Castle offer spectacular views over Downhill Strand towards Magilligan Point.

Furthermore, it has breathtaking views across to Inishowen in County Donegal. Moreover, to the east, Castlerock beach towards Portstewart, Portrush, and Fair Head is open to the public all year, from dawn to dusk.

5 Catholics held mass in the room under the temple

The Earl-Bishop was very opened-minded. He allowed Catholics to celebrate Mass in the room under the Mussenden Temple. He wrote in his will this practice should be allowed to continue even after his death.

6 It applied for a license to hold civil weddings

Mussenden Temple By D LN –

Mussenden Temple is located in the beautiful surroundings of Downhill Demesne. Downhill Demesne provides panoramic views of the North Coast and Donegal, and also the tranquil gardens at the Bishops Gate. It is an ideal setting to hold wedding ceremonies and a wonderful location for taking wedding photos. The Temple applied for a civil license to hold civil weddings in 2007.

7 It was modeled after Rome鈥檚 famed temple of Vesta

The Temple of Vesta is an ancient edifice in Rome, Italy, and is located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins. Mussenden Temple draws apparent similarities to the Temple of Vesta. Temple of Vesta鈥檚 most recognizable feature is its circular footprint, while Mussenden Temple is a small circular building.

The Earl had the temple built as his library and desired to create a beautiful piece of Cliffside architecture. Originally the Earl in his notes stated that the building was based on Bramante’s Tempietto on Rome’s Janiculum hill, which itself is based on the Temple of Vesta in Rome.

8 It was designed as a library

Mussenden Temple Castlerock By Enrique 脥帽iguez Rodr铆guez –

Mussenden Temple was originally built as a library. Earl Bishop created a magnificent building with such a great view to house his books. He chose an amazing location for a library.

Back then the walls of the temple were once lined with bookcases. They had a fire that constantly kept burning in the basement. This and its enclosed flue meant that, even in this very exposed location, the books never got damp.

9 some stabilization work has been done on the building

When it was constructed, the temple was just about 30 feet from the edge of a 120-foot seaside cliff. Over the years the edge of the cliff was ravaged by coastal erosion almost to the very edge of the temple. Onsight of this, the National Trust quickly began to work on a cliff stabilization plan to prevent the temple from being lost into the sea.

The Worlds Monument Fund provided essential funding for the stabilization project which included the strengthening of the main cliff. Thanks to their efforts the foundation of the temple has been secured for at least another century. It has become one of the most photographed sites in Ireland.

10 Frideswide had an early demise

Northern Ireland, Mussenden Temple Downhill Castlerock By Petra Mariposa –

The Temple was constructed in honor of the earl鈥檚 cousin, – Frideswide, of whom the Bishop appears to have been extremely fond. Some say Earl Bishop and Frideswide were far too close. The Bishop would often go stay with her when he disagreed with his long-suffering wife.

The Earl Bishop built the library as a gift to her and was also supposed to be a place to which Frideswide when she visited, could retire. Ironically she would not even live to see the structure鈥檚 completion. The Temple, which was to have been her refuge, became her memorial when she died in 1785.

These were 10 remarkable facts about the beautiful Mussenden temple that I hope you learned a  few new things about this famous icon.