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Start : Bishop’s Gate entrance to the Demesne. Downhill Demesne - Entrance and Parking, Mussenden Rd, Castlerock, Coleraine (BT51 4RP)
(S/E) Starting at Bishop’s Gate entrance to the Demesne, proceed past a quaint gothic style gate lodge (private residence) and enter into the Bishop’s Gate Gardens – look out for the unusual bog garden. At a fork in the main path, take the right track (North) – a well surfaced woodland path and pass through a relict arboretum with many rare tree species.
At another pronounced fork, follow signs for Mussenden Temple up a steepish grass track. Through a small wooden gate proceed on to gain a majestic view of the gaunt ruins of Downhill House.
(1) At this stage, you can explore the ruin, or either head right (North) for around 330 m to Mussenden Temple which now beckons, perched on the cliff edge. The views of Ireland’s North Coast and some of the Scottish Western Isles (Islay & Jura) on a clear day are very impressive.
(2) At this point, from Mussenden Temple, you can choose to retrace your steps or head West (left of the Temple), making sure to correctly locate the mown grass track through the hay meadows and head South-West for another unusual built feature – the dovecote (another circular type building).
(3) From the dovecote, with ice house below – a fantasy landscape of a walled garden appears. On exiting the walled garden, all paths lead back to the ruins of Downhill House, but to return to your starting point veer off to the right (South), just before the front of the house – following a grass track. This grass track leads to the Mausoleum and back to the gardens at Bishop’s Gate. (S/E)
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