Although now a suburb of Exeter, Topsham was previously a separate town which was granted a Royal Charter in 1300. It was for many years a thriving and important port and a centre for both fishing and shipbuilding, with the influence of its trade with Holland being seen in the many Dutch-style houses in its streets, built with the Dutch bricks used as ballast in the ships which took out cargoes of wool and cotton from South-West England.
Topsham's situation on the Exe Estuary makes it very popular with sight-seers and walkers who can stroll along the river and enjoy the excellent views across to Powderham and Starcross, or down to the mouth of the estuary at Exmouth.
There are several small beachy areas here, none of which could really be called 'bucket and spade' beaches as the quality of the sand is not suitable for playing on and the incoming tide frequently covers the areas, but nonetheless they do have their charm as most have conveniently-placed benches where one can sit and admire the views, feed the visiting swans, watch the gentle waves lap up on the shore, or, if you're very lucky, enjoy a moment or two of peaceful solitude!
To work out the coordinates for the cache-hide you need to find information at 3 waypoints.
1. At the headline coordinates on the Goat Walk, Vic Canterbury lived from 19AB to 20CD
2. Stage 2. As you leave the beach behind to rejoin the road the Moorings Owners Association secretary can be contacted at PO Box E
3. Stage 3. At the gates, the number of spikes on the LHS gate, excluding the end scrolls, is FG
The cache can be found at
N50 ( [A + B] x D) . (E - A) (B - A) (C + G)
W003 (E x A) . (F x D) (A + F) ([E + F] - C)
which is a short stroll away. The walk is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, with care, but wheelchair users would need help at GZ. Please note bikes cannot be ridden along the Goat Walk itself but are fine on the road section of the cache.