Hillsborough is a 447' high promontory between Hele Bay and Ilfracombe, just to the north of Hele. It is crossed by the South West Coastal Path and was declared a Nature Reserve in 1993. The northern tip of the headland is known as Beacon Point and there was a Volunteer Artillery gun battery here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To the east are some limestone quarries and caves known as Joe Moon's. The inland slope was heavily fortified during the Iron Age when two massive ramparts were built, creating a hill-fort of the type known as a promontory fort or cliff castle.

Hillsborough was said to have been called Elsborrow in 1690. It was called Ellisborough on Donn's map of 1765 and Helesborough on the Ordnance Survey map of 1809. It was almost certainly named after the nearby village of Hele. The 'borough' element is either from burrow or barrow, both used locally to mean 'hill or mound'.

Ellisborough is so-called on the Dunn map of 1765. Helesborough is so-called on the first OS map of 1809. Hillsborough is so-called on Greenwoods' 1827 map. The 1840 Ilfracombe Tithe map calls it Hillsboro' Hill, as does Walters 1884; It is Hillsborough on the first detailed OS map of 1889. On the latter, the Iron Age earthwork (Remains of) is shown on the southern slopes and a tumulus is shown at the summit, now thought to be natural.

"The most remarkable object in this neighbourhood is the noble mountain-mass that forms the eastern headland of the harbour of Ilfracombe. Its name is now spelled and pronounced Hillsborough, but there can be little doubt that the essential part of this word is cognate with Hele, the village that lies at the foot of the hill. The element borough or burrow is commonly found hereabouts in the names of elevated rounded hills, especially such as are tenanted by rabbits. thus we have Saxon's Burrow, at the entrance to Watermouth, and Braunton Burrows; and the word is continually used as an appellative, synonymous with rabbit-warren." (Gosse 1853  p 261)

"Towering over Hele and sheltering it from the winter gales is Hillsborough Hill. This is a favourite walk with tourists to whom it is thrown open, the Local Board having rented it from the owner so that the public may have the privilege of enjoying the glorious panorama from its summit, comprising the Bristol Channel from far below Lundy Island on the west to the Foreland on the east, the Welsh hills northwards, together, with a bird's-eye view of Ilfracombe and the hills surrounding it." (Walters 1884 p 31-32)

Article written about a possible burial cyst was found in 1937 "On Hillsborough is a promontory fort or cliff castle of probable Cornish origin...this finding supports the theory that Hillsborough should more properly be called Hele Barrow as it was known in earlier times. The Donn map of 1765 calls it Ellisborough and the OS 1809 map (first OS for the area) says Helesborough" (Probably either by Mervyn Palmer or J Longhurst, Hillsborough folder, Ilfracombe Museum)

"On Mr Eddy's [clerk to Ilfracombe council] desk were deeds and documents relating to Hillsborough which went back nearly three centuries. In 1690 Hillsborough, then called Elsborrow, was owned by a local resident called Simon Somers. In the 18th century this 50-acre property was conveyed to the Bowen family, a member of which, Miss Elizabeth Bowen, later married the Rev. James May of Marwood." (Undated newspaper cutting, probably from when Hillsborough was Scheduled in 1978, Hillsborough folder, Ilfracombe Museum)

"The Iron Age Celts, known as the Dumnoni, built a defended settlement round the crest of the hill known as Hele-barrow, or burrow - now called Hillsborough" (ICTG 1985-6 p 1)

Burrow, used in local dialect, especially in Cornwall, meaning heap or mound, hillock, from OE beorg, meaning hill. (SOED 1987 p 255)

Barrow, from OE beorg, meaning a mountain, hill or hillock, still in use in local dialect (SOED 1987 p 160)