Misplaced Pages

#567432

40-552: Mussenden Temple is a small circular building located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry , high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland . Perched on the cliffs overlooking Downhill Strand, it was once possible to drive a carriage around the temple: however, coastal erosion has brought the edge closer to the building. The temple was built in 1785 and forms part of

80-511: A Grecian temple in Frideswide's honour...I intend to build it on the edge of a cliff. It will give employment to the poor, to the district and employment." The Earl Bishop was clearly heart broken when Frideswide died. His notes on the building state that it was based on Bramante's Tempietto on Rome's Janiculum hill , which itself based on the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli near Rome. The building

120-414: A mostly hourly service in both directions (west to Derry~Londonderry or east to Coleraine and onward to Belfast Lanyon Place and Belfast Grand Central ) daily, and only five trains each way on Sunday. Ulsterbus services tend to coincide roughly with the times of the railway service and proceed either west towards Limavady or east to Coleraine . Castlerock is home to Guysmere Summer Camp, which

160-544: Is 159 km (99 mi). Another length of the River Bann given is 90 mi. The river winds its way from the southeast corner of Ulster to the northwest coast, pausing in the middle to widen into Lough Neagh. The River Bann catchment has an area of 5,775 km . The River Bann has a mean discharge rate of 92 m /s. According to C. Michael Hogan, the Bann River Valley is a settlement area for some of

200-597: Is a thatched cottage with a cruck structure and is situated at the crossroads near the village. Built around 1691, it was originally a rectory or farmhouse. Also at the adjacent crossroads is an ancient tree. The bodies of the two victims of infamous dentist Colin Howell were found in Castlerock on 19 May 1991. Castlerock was relatively untouched by the Troubles , with only one fatal incident occurring in or near

240-607: Is joined by the Cusher River and connects with the now disused Newry Canal , which once gave access south to the Irish Sea . Although the Upper Bann was officially abandoned as a navigation in 1954, it is still possible to navigate between Whitecoat Point and Lough Neagh. Entrance to the river from Lough Neagh is not easy, as the river is quite shallow at this point, and there are no navigation markers to assist. Once on

280-692: Is owned and run by the Presbyterian Church . Castlerock Golf Club has the Mussendan course, an 18 hole Championship links course and the Bann course, a 9 hole links course. The actor James Nesbitt lived in Castlerock as a teenager. The village was a holiday destination for the famous author C. S. Lewis . Born in Belfast , he holidayed in Castlerock as a child and took inspiration from Downhill House for some of his books including The Lion,

320-470: Is very popular with summer tourists, with numerous apartment blocks and two caravan sites. Castlerock Golf Club has both 9-hole and 18-hole links courses bounded by the beach, the River Bann and the Belfast to Derry railway line . The village had a population of 1,155 people at the 2021 census, and is where near by village Articlave F.C play their home games. Local historical interest is concentrated on

360-991: The A3 road and the A27 road. The junction with the Cusher River and the entrance to the derelict Newry Canal is just over 1 mile (1.6 km) from the final bridge, and navigation of the river is possible for a short distance beyond that point. Spelga Bridge, New Bridge, Eight Mile Bridge, Mill Bridge, Cavan Bridge, Mc Combs Bridge, Bannfield Bridge, Tirkelly Bridge, Roughan Bridge, Seafin Bridge, Kates Bridge, Circular Rd Bann Bridge, Mulligans Bridge, Balilievey Bridge, Lisnaree Bridge, Lindsays Bridge, A1 Bypass Bridge, Bannbridge Bridge, Milltown Bridge, Point Bridge, Tullylish Bridge, Gilford Bridge, White Bridge, Dynes Bridge, Bann Bridge 1838, Shillington Bridge 1970, Bann Railway Bridge, M1 Bridge 1967. The Lower Bann flows from Lough Neagh at Toome to

400-406: The Atlantic Ocean at Barmouth, located behind Portstewart Golf Club, between Portstewart and Castlerock . The Lower Bann is 64 kilometres (40 mi) long and is a canalised waterway, with five navigation locks, at Toome, Portna, Movanagher, Carnroe and Castleroe. The river is very popular with water sports enthusiasts, anglers and cruisers and has minimal commercial traffic. It acts as most of

440-854: 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. It was Lord Bristol – popularly known as "the Earl-Bishop" – who had the "temple" built. Constructed as a library and modelled from the Temple of Vesta in the Forum Romanum in Rome , it is dedicated to the memory of Bishop Lord Bristol's niece Frideswide Mussenden . Its walls were once lined with bookcases. A fire

SECTION 10

#1732793055568

480-618: The River Blackwater had to be made deeper and wider. The cost of the project overran by £50,000 and the government was asked to make up the shortfall. The Upper Bann Navigation included the River Bann between its junction with the Newry Canal at Whitecoat Point and Lough Neagh, a route across Lough Neagh to the mouth of the Blackwater, and the lower 10.5 miles (17 km) of the Blackwater as far as Blackwatertown . This

520-436: The "Bann divide". Towns, councils and businesses "west of the Bann" are often seen as having less investment and government spending than those to the east. It is also seen as a religious, economic and political divide, with Catholics and Irish nationalists being in the majority to the west, and Ulster Protestants and unionists in the majority to the east; and with the financial and industrial capital of Greater Belfast to

560-833: The 18th century Bishop of Derry's ruined Downhill House , the Mussenden Temple on the clifftop, and the Black Glen set within the Downhill Estate, which is now owned by the National Trust . The palace and estate were created by Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol who was the Bishop of Derry in the 1780s. The Mussenden Temple, with its precarious perch on the basalt cliff edge is one of the most photographed scenes in Ireland. The 17th century Hezlett House

600-607: The Lough Neagh (Levels) Scheme 1955 (as amended). The Upper Bann rises at Slieve Muck in the Mourne Mountains , County Down and flows directly into Spelga Reservoir before continuing through a number of towns until after 64 kilometres (40 mi) it joins Lough Neagh at Bannfoot , County Armagh . This stretch is one of the most popular coarse fishing rivers in Europe. At Whitecoat Point near Portadown , it

640-471: The Lough Neagh basin, which would improve navigation, drainage and milling. A series of public meetings were held, and a survey was made of the Lower Bann. The Board of Works then instructed their own engineer to carry out a survey. John McMahon estimated that it would cost £183,775 to improve the Lower Bann from Lough Neagh to the sea, and that the navigation works accounted for less than half of this, with

680-478: The Lower Bann are: Ptolemy 's Geography (2nd century AD) described a river mouth called Αργιτα ( Argita , "shining"), referring to the Bann. The Lower Bann provides the only outlet for Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, which is fed by six major rivers, including the Upper Bann. The ability of the lake to absorb large quantities of flood water is limited, and consequently,

720-574: The Witch and the Wardrobe . River Bann The River Bann (from Irish : An Bhanna , meaning "the goddess"; Ulster-Scots : Bann Wattèr ) is the longest river in Northern Ireland , its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). However, the total length of the River Bann, including its path through the 30 km (19 mi) long Lough Neagh

760-701: The annual deficit. A proposal to build a hydro-electric scheme across the Lower Bann in 1925 came to nothing, and four years later, the Lough Neagh Drainage Trust and the Lower Bann Navigation Trust were disbanded, with the Ministry of Finance assuming responsibility for the river. The counties contributing to the Upper Bann Navigation Trust appealed for that to be disbanded too, but the appeal

800-524: The areas around the lake are prone to flooding. The Lower Bann encountered a large shoal of rock at Portna, which reduced the effectiveness of the outflow, and in 1738, Francis Hutchinson , the Bishop of Down and Connor petitioned the Irish Parliament to do something about the shoals, and hence the annual flooding that affected his people. Although Parliament responded encouragingly, no actual work

840-756: The border between County Antrim and County Londonderry . The only commercial port on the river is at Coleraine . Ships from Londonderry Port and the Port of Belfast transfer coal and scrap metal. The water level on the Lower Bann is controlled by the Rivers Agency using gates situated at Portna (near Kilrea ) and The Cutts at Coleraine. Major tributaries include the Clady River Inveroe Burn, Agivey River , Macosquin Rhee River, Ballymoney River and Articlave River. The bridges over

SECTION 20

#1732793055568

880-529: The drainage works making up the rest. Removal of the Portna shoal would reduce the level of the lake surface by some 1.8 metres (6 ft). The plan was well received, and work began in 1847. Charles Ottley acted as chief engineer but found difficulty in recruiting a labour force. The number of men looking for work had been reduced by famine and emigration, and the railways were competing for workers. The project took eleven years to complete. A double-chambered lock

920-689: The east with the west of the Bann being more agricultural and rural. The Lough Neagh catchment drains 43% of the landmass of Northern Ireland, as well as some border areas in the Republic of Ireland , all in Ulster . The Rivers Agency manages the water level in the lough using a barrage at Toome . The current drainage scheme was engineered by Major Percy Shepherd and was enabled by the Lough Neagh and Lower Bann Drainage and Navigation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955. The levels are regulated between 12.45 metres and 12.6 metres above Ordnance Datum , as defined in

960-405: The east, Castlerock beach towards Portstewart , Portrush and Fair Head . The temple obtained a licence to hold civil wedding ceremonies in 2007. The nearest station is Castlerock railway station . Castlerock Castlerock is a seaside village in County Londonderry , Northern Ireland . It is five miles west of Coleraine , and part of Causeway Coast and Glens district. It

1000-468: The first human arrivals in Ireland after the most recent glacial retreat. The river has played an important part in the industrialisation in Northern Ireland, especially in the linen industry. Today salmon and eel fisheries are the most important economic features of the river. The river is often used as a dividing line between the eastern and western areas of Northern Ireland, often labelled

1040-565: The lough, so that its flow could be reversed, and the amount of water entering the lough reduced correspondingly. The proposal was no better received than when Nimmo had originally made it. Both the Monck Commission, which sat in the early 1880s, and an enquiry into the Board of Works held in 1887, suggested that for the benefit of flood relief, the navigation should be abandoned, and that the three Trusts were counter-productive. No action

1080-413: The river and the headroom is reduced. From the bridge it is around 3 miles (5 km) to Portadown, and the river passes through pleasant rural scenery. Exploration of the town from the river is difficult, because water levels at Shillington Quay and at the jetty a little further upstream are very shallow. The river is crossed by the railway line from Portadown to Lurgan and then road bridges carrying

1120-619: The river, the jetties for the Bann Ferry are soon reached. It is possible to moor there, to visit the villages of Columbkille to the west or Bannfoot to the east. Bannfoot was originally called Charlestown after its builder, Charles Brownlow, who built it around 1830. Some 6 miles (10 km) from the mouth, the river is crossed by the M1 motorway . The bridge is the lowest on the navigable section, with an air draught of around 10 feet (3 m), although in strong northerly winds, water backs up in

1160-418: The sea. Not only would it solve the problems of flooding, but it would also solve the inadequate water supply for the canal, eliminate lock maintenance, and could generate around 2,200 kW as the water would still have to fall by 13.7 metres (45 ft). The plan was a little too ambitious and failed to win support. In 1842, the Board of Works were authorised by an Act of Parliament to carry out works in

1200-427: The south of the lake had to contribute towards the drainage and navigation works which had been completed, and also find £800 per year for ongoing maintenance, with no source of income to cover it. Coleraine was expanded as a port, but even the Lower Bann did not generate the expected revenue, and the adjoining counties had to finance an annual deficit of around £400. A passenger service between Coleraine and Toomebridge

1240-498: The tempests roar." The quotation is from Lucretius , De Rerum Natura , 2.1–2. Built as a wedding gift to his niece, Mrs. Frideswide Mussenden, and named in her honour, this library was to be a place she could retire when she visited him. He referred to her as his "cher cousin" and it's believed he greatly admired her beauty. There was some scandal at the time about the nature of their relationship, which may have caused her some distress and hastened her death. "I intend to build

Mussenden Temple - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-1120: The village as part of the conflict. The " Castlerock killings " took place in March 1993, when four men were shot dead by a group calling itself "Ulster Freedom Fighters", a covername used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). One of the men convicted for the murders was Coleraine loyalist Torrens Knight . Castlerock is classified as a village by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day in 2001, there were 1,336 people usually-resident in Castlerock across 570 households. Of these: On Census day in 2011, there were 1,256 people usually-resident in Castlerock across 554 households. Of these: On Census day in 2021, there were 1,155 people usually-resident in Castlerock across 554 households. Of these: Castlerock railway station opened on 18 July 1853. NI Railways currently run

1320-598: Was constructed at Portna, where the shoal was removed, and four other locks were needed to negotiate the difference in levels. Quays and swing bridges were erected, and various alterations had to be made around Lough Neagh to cope with the drop in the surface level. The final lock on the Lagan Canal , the Coalisland Canal and the Ulster Canal had to be rebuilt with a lower cill and deeper lock gates, and

1360-455: Was done, and the problem remained. In 1822, the Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo proposed a radical solution. The Newry Canal provided a route southwards from Lough Neagh to Carlingford Lough , but it rose to a summit and then descended again. His proposal was to lower the summit level so that it was below the level of Lough Neagh, remove all the locks, and so provide a second outlet to

1400-589: Was kept burning constantly in the basement. This and its enclosed flue meant that, even in this very exposed location, the books never got damp. Over the years the erosion of the cliff face at Downhill has brought Mussenden Temple ever closer to the edge, and in 1997 The National Trust carried out cliff stabilisation work to prevent the loss of the building. The inscription around the building reads: " Suave, mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis e terra magnum alterius spectare laborem. " "Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore The troubled sailor, and hear

1440-502: Was made on 13 April 1859. The finished scheme was not well received by the counties through which it ran. As originally conceived, revenue from tolls and water power on the Lower Bann would finance maintenance work on the Upper Bann. Instead, three separate Trusts were set up. These were the Upper Bann Navigation Trust, the Lower Bann Navigation Trust and the Lough Neagh Drainage Trust. The adjoining counties appointed representatives to each and also financed their continued operation. Those to

1480-642: Was one of four works of navigation part funded by the Treasury during the famine years in Ireland. The other three were the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal linking Lough Erne to the river Shannon across County Leitrim; Loughs Corrib, Mask and Carra in counties Galway and Mayo; and Lough Oughter and Lough Gowna in County Cavan. The Upper Bann Navigation was the only one completed to its full design extent. The Final Award for this scheme

1520-596: Was probably the work of Micheal Shanahan who accompanied the Earl Bishop on one of his many visits to Italy. Now part of The National Trust property of Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne , the grounds encompassing Mussenden Temple, and its manor house ( Downhill Castle ) are open to the public all year, from dawn to dusk. The "Temple" offers views westwards over Downhill Strand towards Magilligan Point and on across to Inishowen in County Donegal ; and to

1560-472: Was started in 1863, but the increased flow on the river made travel upstream difficult, and the service was abandoned. Like so many schemes that tried to combine drainage and navigation, this one did neither particularly well. Flooding around the southern shores of Lough Neagh continued to be a problem, and in 1882 the chairman of Portadown Town Commissioners suggested that Alexander Nimmo's scheme should be revived. The Upper Bann would be made much deeper near

1600-574: Was taken, and when the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers , Sir Alexander Binnie , was asked for his advice in 1906, he came to a similar conclusion. He suggested that a canalised river, which in winter had a flow of between 188 and 376 cubic metres per second (400,000 and 800,000 cu ft/min) was never going to succeed. Again his advice was ignored, as the navigation works were still relatively new. The counties continued to fund

#567432