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Bishop's Palace, Downhill

The eccentric bishop of Derry and earl of Bristol, Frederick Augustus Hervey built a castle near Downhill in 1774. The nearby Mussenden Temple was modelled on the Temple of Vesta near Rome and was built to house the bishop’s library or his mistress—opinions differ. Mussenden Temple is perched on the clifftop with views of Magilligan Strand below and Inishowen Head in the distance which is part of the Republic of Ireland. It is said that the bishop also used it to watch his clergy compete in horse races for the best parishes on Downhill Strand at the bottom of the cliff.
Downhill Castle, was burned down in 1851 and though it was rebuilt a couple of years later, it was finally abandoned after the Second World War with now only the walls remaining. A small path follows the edge of the cliff towards the west with views of nearby Castlerock, the mouth of the river Bann, and Portstewart/Portrush.