Mussenden Temple Walk
This circular walk visits the precariously positioned Mussenden Temple in Castlerock, County Londonderry.
It's a popular walk with the gardens and parkland of the historic Downhill House and some outstanding cliff top views to enjoy.
Start the walk from the Downhill House car park. From here you can pick up trails heading towards the ruined 18th-century mansion. Follow a footpath north from the house and it will take you to the coast and the temple which is perched on the cliff top. From the elevated spot there are some glorious views over the Inishowen Peninsula. Sadly, due to coastal erosion the historic tower is moving ever closer to the sea and required stabilisation work from the National Trust in 1997.
Postcode
BT51 4RP - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Mussenden Temple Open Street Map 
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Mussenden Temple Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
To continue your walking in this wonderful area head east along the coast to visit the Giant's Causeway. The spectacular causeway is one of the highlights of the country and well known around the world. The Portballintrae to Ballintoy Coastal Walk passes the site on a popular section of the Causeway Coast.
A little further east there's also Carrick-a-Rede.
To the south west you'll find Limavady and the lovely Roe Valley Country Park. The park includes an ornamental lake and waterside paths along the River Roe.
To the west is the climb to Binevenagh Mountain . The area is a designated AONB and includes a pretty lake, impressive geological features and wonderful hill top views.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Downhill Demesne and Hezlett House. The remains of the house which was once a beautiful mansion filled with exquisite objects and paintings. Sadly it was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1851. It was rebuilt but fell into disrepair in the 1940s. © Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez
The Mussenden Temple, Downhill. The temple was built in 1785 and forms part of the Downhill Demesne. The demesne was formerly part of the estate of Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol, who served as the Church of Ireland Lord Bishop of Derry from 1768 until 1803
Downhill Strand and Mussenden Temple from the beach below. The temple is inscribed with the following quotation from Lucretius, De Rerum Natura:
"Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore
The troubled sailor, and hear the tempests roar."
Downhill Beach
North Antrim Coast. The excellent views stretch westwards over Downhill Strand towards Magilligan Point and on across to Inishowen in County Donegal. To the east, there's views of Castlerock beach, Portstewart, Portrush and Fair Head.
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Dam, Downhill
Old and new. The contrast of the old monument in the background and the modern rolled up straw bale in a field between Downhill and Castlerock on the north coast of Ireland
Lions Gate, entrance to Mussenden Temple