On the road from Bushmills to Derry
On our tour of Northern Ireland in April, we left Bushmills to drive to Derry. Our first stop was only a few miles along the road, Dunluce Castle, dramatically situated on the coast. The earliest parts date to around 1500, but there are also remains of a fine Jacobean mansion from about 1620.
Next we stretched our legs and blew away the cobwebs on the beautiful Portstewart Strand, a two mile sweep of beach.
By now it was lunchtime and we stopped in the town of Coleraine for a sandwich and a stroll. At 9000 years old it’s the site of Ireland’s earliest known settlement.
Finally, we took the longer route along the coast to visit Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne. In 1775 Fredrick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, started building a grand country house on a dramatic headland. Today it’s a ruin but the views are still spectacular.
You probably can’t tell from the gallery above, but I’m pointing at a sign saying “Library”. I’m not sure if the Earl Bishop had two libraries, or if one replaced the other. Certainly the domed building right on the cliff edge, Mussenden Temple, was built as a library – though at that time it was possible to drive a horse and carriage around it.
I would love to have spent time in this place! I do hope the cliff does not continue eroding to the the point that the Temple falls into the sea.
From here we drove straight to Derry where we spent the next four nights. I already wrote quite a lot about that in May’s Squares challenge, but there’s always more to say.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
I love going out for a walk and taking photos of insignificant things, normal things that we find on the street. These photos from the networks are an example.
Here in the south of Spain we have many beautiful places to photograph as well. But sometimes you have to travel to see new places.
Thank you Anabel!!
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It definitely pays to be observant – the insignificant can turn out to be very interesting! Thanks for commenting
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Hi Anabel – interesting to see Coleraine has been there for 9,000 years; while the libraries – I see they’ve shored up the Mussenden Temple one (or carried out cliff stabilisation – not sure how that’ll work … but!). Fascinating area … and I note John might return … cheers Hilary
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Thanks Hilary – let’s hope that does the trick!
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Dunluce Castle looks fabulous. It’s a wonderful location for a castle and I love the Jacobean windows.
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It was interesting to visit, you could go more or less down to sea level and look up at it. But there was a biting wind!
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You had a fabulous trip Anabel and I totally agree that stopping off to exolore on shorter road trips is an excellent idea.
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It definitely makes the journey more interesting. I hate being in the car for long periods!
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The coastal route and the grand country house look gorgeous in that setting and so does the beach with those dramatic cliffs.
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It’s such a lovely coastline altogether.
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It’s amazing to see how quickly building become derelict if left. Did Frederick ever completely finish the building?
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Yes, he did – it was lived in till the 1920s then used by the army. It was only abandoned after WW2.
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It is sad about the ruined mansion houses but still fascinatingly beautiful. X
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it is, such a lovely position. Friends of friends used to live in the cottage you can just see in one of the pictures.
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Derry looks fascinating! How far is it from Belfast?
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Directly cross-country, about 70 miles, but we drove all round the coast with a stopover in Bushmills.
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When we were up there last year, we missed quite a lot of sights because of Mary’s bum knee. But maybe we’ll be able to go back some day.
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That’s a shame. Hope you can go back.
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We certainly hope so, too.
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I didn’t know that about Coleraine, Anabel. Dunluce looks beautiful, and that Temple awfully precarious.
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It was an interesting and varied journey. Lots to see!
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🤗🩵
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I wonder if they could move the temple? As sure as frogs are greenish, that cliff will keep eroding. Let’s hope they can conserve that bit of history. A basketball friend and her husband are over there visiting their son they haven’t been as lucky with the weather as you two. It’s been interesting to glimpse an area from your perspective that I’m unlikely to visit.
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I’m sure in theory they could, but whether there would be money to move it is another matter. It belongs to the National Trust so maybe they could raise grants / donations. Sorry your friends aren’t having such good weather. It’s one of those years where we get a day of summer then recycle all the other seasons before we get another one.
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Yes, like most things it comes down to funding. They’ll be enjoying their time over there good weather or not. We’re used to four seasons in one day 😊
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Perfect to find yourself in a library, albeit with a conspicuous absence of tomes.😊
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Given the state of the roof (non-existent) it might not be the best environment for tomes 😉😀!
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Oh, my… I hope that temple doesn’t take a tumble! That would be a great loss.
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It certainly would! It looks very dramatic on the edge of the cliff, but there’s not much room left between it and the sea.
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The views are splendid and the temple is a great treat. I hope that it doesn’t fall into the sea.
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I hope so too, it would be a great loss.
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Your whole trip has been just so interesting to follow.
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Thank you! I’m glad you think so.
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Sounds as if the temple will have to be moved further inland at some point. There’s no holding back cliff erosion.
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I hope they can do something to save it.
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Do you know if there are any concrete plans to save the temple from the cliff erosion? It’s lose would be devastating!
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I don’t know – the owner is the National Trust so it’s possible they might be able to raise funds.
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A nice empty beach is just my cup of tea. I like the memorial fountain and the mural and St. Patrick’s church looks lovely, as does the ‘view east’.
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Interesting that the east and west views were taken at the same time yet the weather looks completely different!
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I like a good empty beach walk. Bob. BSS.
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Me too! Just a few other walkers there.
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Great monuments to see and the coast is stunning 😍.
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We were delighted with the Northern Irish coast. Even more beautiful than we had been told.
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My idea of a great day on the road, with plenty of stops and lots to see! The beach looks wonderful and I love that Mussenden Temple perched on the edge of the cliff – I do hope it survives and isn’t lost to coastal erosion.
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Yes, there’s nothing more boring than driving straight from A to B. Missed was definitely the highlight.
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Mussenden! Bloomin’ autocorrect.
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You crammed in a lot of interesting stuff that day (you always do …)
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It was an enjoyable journey. I hate just sitting in the car!
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👍
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Lovely. The beaches are spectacular in Ireland; too bad the weather and the water temperatures aren’t good enough to swim! (Suzanne)
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Not in April anyway! I’m sure John would give it a go later in the year.
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