Beacon Point is about half a kilometre north of Hele at the northern tip of Hillsborough. Although now closed to the public it can still be reached off the South West Coastal Path just past Blythe's Cove. There was a Artillery battery here from 1876-1914 and there were paths, all now gone, down to Blythe's Cove, Broadstrand Beach and through Joe Moon's. The area is very overgrown and subject to coastal erosion; half of the battery's gun platform has fallen into the sea together with one of the gun-mounting rails.

A beacon here is the most likely origin of the place name. A possible beacon is the metal pole (still there) upon which a red flag was shown when the battery was in use, but the name may predate the battery. There is a Light House shown here on Greenways' map of 1827, but this is probably an error and meant to refer to Lantern Hill.

Roughly in the centre of the battery complex is what appears to be a simple kiln. This could have been used to make lime for the battery but it does seem to be older. It is too small and inaccessible to burn lime for agricultural use and may have been used as a beacon, rather than a kiln, to aid vessels navigate into Ilfracombe harbour.

A Light Ho. is shown at the tip of Hillsborough on Greenwoods' map of 1827. This is probably an error and meant to refer to Lantern Hill which is not shown as a light house, although it is so marked on the Ordnance Survey maps of 1809 and 1889.

Beacon Point is so-called on the first detailed OS map of 1889.This map shows the Volunteer Battery complex and marks an F.S. (firing signal?) beside the top of the old path to Broadstrand Beach, where there is still a metal pole - the Volunteers are said to have flown a red flag on this pole when the battery was in use.

One derivation of Old English bēacn meaning 'sign, portent or ensign' is the Middle English usage meaning "Any conspicuous object, as a lighthouse etc., placed upon the coast or at sea, to warn or direct" (SOED 1987 Vol.1 p 168)