Winsham Farm is about one and a half kilometres south-west of Hele, just off the Old Barnstaple Road. Shield Tor is to the north and Winsham Wood to the west.

The place name Winsham was called Wineham on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1809. It probably comes from Old English and means 'Wine's ham'. Many other local place names are from Old English, often with a Saxon personal name as their first element, for example Berrynarbor (originally Hurtesburie), Ilfracombe, Campscott, Mullacot, Winsham and Warmscombe. The ham element is thought to mean 'an enclosure'.

Wineham is so-called on the first OS map of 1809; Called Wincham on the 1839 Tithe map (transcription Wincham, owned by Sarah Stephens, held by John Dadds); Called Winsham in the 1841 Census, occupied by Thomas Moon & family; Also called Winsham in the 1851 Census; Winsham farm and Winsham Wood are so-called on the OS map 1891.

Winsham [in Braunton] is Wenneham 1086 DB, Winesham 1244 Ass(p). Wynes- 1244 Ass, 1333 SR(p). Probably 'Wine's ham(m)' (Gover et al 1932 p 34)

"If we examine the sites of all the places which either contain or possibly contain hamm we find that a very large proportion are definitely away from streams, only a few lie by streams, while a still smaller number lies within well marked river bends. This makes it clear that in the vast majority of cases hamm in Devon can only mean 'enclosure'. It is very doubtful if it ever had the sense 'river meadow' which has been sometimes assigned to that term." (Gover et al 1932 p678)