Hillsborough, Devon, Iron Age hill fort in Ilfracombe, England
Hillsborough is an Iron Age fortified settlement perched on a coastal promontory in Ilfracombe, Devon. The site features parallel earthwork banks and ditches cut into the slope, with a clear entrance structure that once controlled access to the enclosed area.
The fort was built during the Iron Age as a defensive settlement for the local population. In the late 1800s, the local council purchased the site to prevent development and protect its archaeological remains from further damage.
The promontory fort represents one of the two largest Iron Age enclosures in Devon, containing substantial defensive earthworks with a defined eastern gateway.
The site lies on the South West Coast Path, making it easy to reach on foot from Ilfracombe. The ground is open and accessible, though the slope is uneven and steep in places, so wear suitable shoes for walking on grass and earth.
Coastal erosion has significantly reduced the original size of the enclosed area, while Victorian landscaping has obscured the archaeological clarity of the site. These changes mean that what visitors see today is quite different from what the Iron Age inhabitants built.
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