Hilborough is a village and a civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in the English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 county of Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

. The village is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south of Swaffham

Swaffham

Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...

, 25.4 miles (40.9 km) west south west of Norwich

Norwich

Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...

 and 93.2 miles (150 km) north north east of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The village straddles the A1065

A1065 road

The A1065 is a main road in the English region of East Anglia. It provides the principal road connection to parts of the west and north of the county of Norfolk from Newmarket and points south of there, including London...

 between Swaffham and Brandon

Brandon, Suffolk

Brandon is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the Forest Heath local government district.Brandon is located in the Breckland area on the border of Suffolk with the adjoining county of Norfolk...

. The nearest railway station is at Brandon

Brandon railway station

Brandon railway station serves the town of Brandon in Suffolk, England, although the station is actually situated across the county boundary in Norfolk. The station is managed by National Express East Anglia, which provides services east to Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich, and west...

 for the Breckland Line

Breckland Line

The Breckland Line runs from Cambridge in Cambridgeshire to Norwich in Norfolk, in East Anglia, England. It is so called because it runs through the Breckland region of Norfolk. The line also passes through Thetford Forest. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part...

 which runs between Cambridge

Cambridge

The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

 and Norwich

Norwich

Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...

.

History

Hilborough has an entry in the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 of 1085. In the great book Hilborough is recorded by the name ‘’Hildeburhwella’’. The main landholder is William de Warenne

William de Warenne

William de Warenne may refer to:*William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey...

. The main tennent was named as William. The survey also notes that there were three mills, five Beehives. The ancestors of Admiral Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

, including the Admiral's father, the Reverend Edmund Nelson

Edmund Nelson (clergyman)

Reverend Edmund Nelson was an Anglican clergyman during the eighteenth century, most famous as the father of Horatio Nelson.-Early life and family:...

, who left for Burnham Thorpe shortly before Horatio was born; were rectors of the parish church of All Saints at Hilborough between 1734 and 1806

Notable people

The family of Admiral Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

. Nelson’s grandfather, father, uncle-by-marriage and his brother were all rectors of All Saints parish church in the village. As a young boy Nelson stayed with his uncle and grandmother in Hilborough. After the battle of the Nile, Nelson was created Baron Nelson of the Nile and Hilborough.