The Background
Having lived in Torquay and Exeter for a number of years and spending nearly all of my caching time in the great county of Devon, I have made a number of friends through the caching community here and neighbouring counties. Living in Swindon now, I don't get to see these friends very often and it would be great to meet everyone again, which is why I have organised the nearby event.
About Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton is a small village located on a steep hill in South Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, close to the Teign Estuary.
The village has three churches - one gospel hall (Plymouth Brethren), one Methodist and one Anglican - St John The Baptist, with a fine Norman doorway which survived Victorian restoration. Among the tombstones are some who were victims of plague, and above the churchyard are the remains of a 14th century sanctuary chapel built by John Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter to provide a refuge for felons who had accepted life banishment, as they travelled from Exeter to sail from Teignmouth. The village also has three pubs and has the basic shops that you would expect to find.
There is a small beach on the estuary, known locally as The River Beach or Red Rock. It is reached via a footpath from the village that crosses the main Teignmouth to Newton Abbot road and the railway, and goes down some steep steps - Luxton Steps. This ancient footpath leads to the point where villagers could ford the river at low tide
Half a mile away, overlooking the town, is the Bishop's Palace, now a ruin (hence the local name of the old walls), that was built in the 13th century by Walter de Bronescombe, and expanded later by Grandisson.
There are a number of great caches in the area that I can recommend, which show off this lovely village and some of the sites mentioned in this history of the village.
The Cache
A Small camo container - Room for very small coins and TB's. Please bring a pen.