Mussenden Temple, Classical temple in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Mussenden Temple is a circular domed structure perched on a cliff edge above Downhill Strand in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The exterior features a ring of columns that opens to three sides, facing the ocean and the distant mountains of Donegal across the water.
Frederick Hervey, the Bishop of Derry and Earl of Bristol, commissioned the building in 1785 as a library for his cousin Frideswide Mussenden. The design was based on the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli near Rome, which Hervey had visited during his travels through Italy.
The inscription carved inside comes from the Roman philosopher Lucretius and refers to watching stormy seas from the safety of land. It connects the building directly to its position above the Atlantic waters.
Access is by a footpath of several hundred meters through open ground, which can become slippery after rain. The exterior can be viewed freely, while the interior opens during National Trust hours and may require joining a small guided group.
Erosion has gradually worn away the ground around the building, bringing the cliff edge much closer than it was when first built. For some decades, the basement stored wine, taking advantage of the cool sea air that swept through the lower level.
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