His home at Downhill was once adorned with Rembrandts, Rafaels, Titians, Durers, and Carravagios.
Hervey wanted to buy the temple and ship it back to Ireland to be re-erected on his property.
Aerial view of Mussenden Temple.
The ruins in the distance is Downhill House.
Back then, there was enough land on the seaward side of the temple to have a picnic.
But erosion of the cliff face has brought the Mussenden Temple closer to the edge.
But some people wondered whether there was more to the relationship, and a scandal was rife.
The inside was ornately decorated with paintings and the walls lined with bookshelves.
All that remains today is the shell of the building.
The Mussenden Temple, Castlerock.
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Photo credit:Viajar Ahora/Flickr
The Mussenden Temple, Castlerock.
