Hillsborough nature reserve is a hilly headland to the east of Ilfracombe harbour and separates Ilfracombe from its closest neighbouring village and beach, Hele Bay. It’s known locally as “The Sleeping Elephant” probably because of its shape!
The south west coastal path weaves its way up and over the hill and provides outstanding views of Ilfracombe and the surrounding countryside and coastline. It’s about a mile’s walk from Ilfracombe Harbour, around the bay and up the hill – 30 mins for people in good health.
It encompasses a fairly small area but the hill is quite high and steep, so not a walk for the fainthearted or those in ill health or poor mobility. Thankfully there are strategically placed benches near the top to catch your breath! It’s also not pushchair friendly.
The walk from Ilfracombe picks up close to the Lime Kiln Cafe and Restaurant (great mussels!) and follows the line of the natural harbour. From this path you can also reach Raparee Cove – the little beach on the east side of the natural harbour- as well as climb up the grassy scrubland to the peak views.
The eastern descent cuts through steep woodland and has a series of steps that lead you down to Hele Bay. It’s about a 15 min descent to Hele Bay.
There are the remains of a 2000-year old Iron Age fort on the hill which is a scheduled ancient monument. Its remains take the form of a couple of banks and ditches and is pretty large for a fort of its time. It’s known as Forthglade and there are various boards in the hill outlining the history and local flora and fauna. Sadly not much has been unearthed here perhaps in part to the fact that the Victorians did some landscaping here when the nature reserve was formed. In fact it is one of the earliest examples of nature conservation in the area.
The area was bought by the local council and turned into a nature reserve back in 1895 so it has been protected for a long time. Wildlife such as deer and peregrine falcons have been spotted here, as well as a variety of flowers, butterflies and more.
The big draw to Hillsborough Nature Reserve is the incredible wide-sweeping views as it is pretty high -136m (447ft) above sea level. On a clear day you can see Lundy Island and the coast of Wales to the North. To the west, the steep descent to Hele Bay is thickly wooded so you can’t really see past the canopy. Reaching Hele Bay is a delight in itself and at low tide provides a wonderful spot to explore and have a paddle.
There is also a path that cuts across the landside of the hill so you could do a circular walk from Hele Bay which also has a small car park.
