Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Royal Hillsborough (usually known just as Hillsborough) is a village in County Down. It is within the townlands of Hillsborough and Small Park, in the civil parish of Hillsborough. It was named after English army officer Sir Moses Hill and his son Arthur, who built Hillsborough Fort in 1650 to command the road from Dublin to Carrickfergus. Hillsborough Castle was build in the 1770s by Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, with significant extensions in the 1830s and 1840s. From partition, it became the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland. It is the official residence of King Charles III when visiting Northern Ireland. In 2021, the prefix "Royal" was added to the town's name by letters patent in recognition of this. Hillsborough Courthouse was originally a Georgian market house built before 1765. St Malachy's Church (C of I), built for The 1st Earl of Hillsborough between 1760 and 1774, is a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture. Blessington House (HB19/05/045 B) is a late 18th-century townhouse. The village is within the council area of Lisburn and Castlereagh.

Place Type: Village
Historic County: Down
Lat, Long: 54.462867,-6.08319
Grid Reference: J 2434 5884
Townland: Hillsborough TD
Civil Parish: Hillsborough CP
Council Area: Lisburn and Castlereagh CA
Police Area: Northern Ireland PA
Devolved Legislature:  Northern Ireland Assembly

GBPN ID: 321938
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Royal_Hillsborough,_Down_321938

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