Up earlier today so we could enjoy the Irish Breakfast included in our stay. It was at a B&B called Seaview not far from here.
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| Seaview – Location of our Irish Breakfast |
Afterwards we drove down past Castlerock to Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demense. This was the only one of the “top five must see” places on the Causeway Coast that we had not yet seen. “Downhill” began resemble its present form in 1772 when Earl Bishop Frederick chose this spot to build this enormous estate including gardens, a summer house for his daughter, a “Temple” named for a local lady that served as a summer library, and a mausoleum dedicated to his brother who was “blown down” in some storm. The garden included exotic vegetables including cucumbers, peaches and grapes. Guess Kroger was not available for these. The house was destroyed by fire in the mid 1800’s.
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| At entrance |
The estate was used as billets for the British RAF in WWII and remained under private ownership even after the war but was abandoned. The National Trust took it over at some point and stabilized the remains. This trip was our first into County Derry.
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| Same fine traveler! |
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| Mausoleum on Estate |
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| Ice house at kitchen garden |
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| “Temple” patterned after Vesta in Italy – was a library back in the day |
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| At Bishop’s Gate |
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| Also at Bishop’s Gate |
We had a late lunch at the Causeway Hotel and are hoping the weather breaks for our last day here tomorrow. We think we will go back to Ballycastle and up into the Glens of Antrim.
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| Staircase inside The Causeway Hotel |
Still Choosing Joy!
Cille
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Cille Litchfield 