Hillsborough, Devon facts for kids
Hillsborough is a special place in Ilfracombe, North Devon, where nature is protected. It's often called the "sleeping elephant" because of its shape! This beautiful area was bought by the local council a long time ago, in the late 1800s. They wanted to make sure it stayed a natural space for everyone to enjoy.
Today, Hillsborough is a wonderful coastal area where you can walk and explore. It also holds the secrets of an ancient Iron Age hill fort, which is a really cool part of its history.
Explore the Hillsborough Nature Reserve
Hillsborough is a local nature reserve that locals call the "sleeping elephant." It's part of the wider North Devon's Biosphere Reserve. This reserve is mostly a farming area in North Devon, centered around Braunton Burrows. Hillsborough itself is a lovely, grassy cliff-top area right next to Ilfracombe.
This nature reserve is home to the remains of an old hill fort. This fort is so important that it's protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The local council bought this land in the 1890s. They wanted to stop buildings from being put up there. Now, it's a place where everyone can walk and enjoy the amazing natural views. The famous South West Coast Path also runs right through it. Hillsborough is now owned by the North Devon Council. It's also part of the beautiful North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Discover the Ancient Fort
Hillsborough is the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It sits high on a cliff, about 115 meters (377 feet) above the sea. This fort was built on a promontory, which is a piece of land sticking out into the sea. To protect it from the land side, people built strong defenses.
These defenses include two long banks and ditches. They run from northwest to southeast, following the shape of the hill. For an Iron Age fort in North Devon, these banks are very long, about 280 meters (918 feet)! There's a clear entrance near the eastern end of both banks. This was likely the main way to get inside the fort.
Scientists have studied the area using special tools to map what's underground. They found some interesting information. However, it's a bit tricky to understand fully. This is because the area was changed a lot in Victorian times, long after the fort was built.
Old maps from the Iron Age show Hillsborough as a very large fort with multiple walls. It was one of the two biggest forts in Devon. But today, the fort seems much smaller. This probably means that a big part of the fort has been lost over time due to coastal erosion. The sea slowly wore away the cliffs where the fort once stood.
