NORTHERN IRELAND - Time for a Dawlish moment

The Antrim Coast is rightly famous for it's spectular scenary and the World Heritage Giant's Causeway, less well know though is the coast of County Londonderry. It is equally stunning and known to some in the train fraternity because this is where NI Railways has it's Dawlish moment with the trains running along the beach at Downhill.

On the headland above the beach and the railway line is the Downhill Demesne, a large National Trust property consisting of parkland, gardens, the Mussenden Temple and the ruins of Downhill House. 

Frederick Hervey the 4th Earl of Bristol later became Bishop of Derry in 1768 and commissioned Downhill House to serve as his residence here. Unfortunately the house fell into disrepair after WW2 but today the site provides wide open spaces with views of Downhill Strand, Donegal and of course the trains.

Mussenden Temple served as the Earl Bishop's library, a fire being kept lit in the basement to stop the damp damaging the books! It is perched right on the cliff edge. Apparently when it was built you could drive a coach and horses right round it, that definitely can't be done now. 

The National Trust currently hires the building out as a wedding venue - could be the perfect place for a statue of Dame Vera though?

Well folks that is pretty much the end of my trip here as I am flying to Birmingham tomorrow to visit Mum before returning home. Not long though till the next trip - Oban, Mull and the visit to Glasgow I couldn't do last year should be coming up next month if Nicola and Boris allow it!