I've lived in the UK for the past 9 years, but my time here (originally from Germany, but lived in Belgium and Sweden before coming to the UK) is now coming to an end for a variety of reasons. So I am selling off what I can't take with me and will be on the route cycling back home to Germany, visiting friends I've made during my time here on the way.
However I've won a place on a Wildlife Filming Course at Leeds Beckett University and want to take that one on, on the way. I'll be leaving Liverpool end of May and have to be in Leeds by June 28th - leaving there again on July 12th. I have a few very different questions some of you (different ones?) might have something (insightful) to say about
.1. Any recommendations on routes from Liverpool to Leeds that are nice? I have a month, as mentioned, and favour beautiful / interesting / nice over direct and fast. [I'll be following Leeds-Liverpool Canal on way back from July 12th as I a) want to stop in Todmorden (small detour from Burnley) and b) aim to go back via Wales (Lon Las Cymru and a step over in Cheltenham before heading for the ferries - Plymouth Portsmouth.) - so a different route on the way to Leeds would be nice.)]. I'd love to do Hadrian's Wall route (or part of it) but it's probably a bit too far in the North to make it to Leeds in time? [I am not as fit as I used to be - will be slow in the beginning. No ambition to get places fast, but wanting to see interesting ones.]
I am used to staying out of doors - done plenty of wild-camping; spent weeks in the Swedish mountains when living there carrying all my food; studied for a BSc Outdoor & Environmental Education and done the Mountain Leader Training - so am happy with wildish places
.2. Any recommendations for camp sites in / near (very!) to Leeds? The film-making course there is pretty intense and I'll be at university (or on location) fairly much from 9 in the morning to 21:30 at night - so I'd rather prefer avoiding a long commute. Can get accommodation through university, but am on a budget - so alternatives would be great. [As it's a full two weeks warmshowers (have no references there anyway) and couch-surfing (have references) are out.] Any cheap reasonable hostels / B&B places you could recommend?
3. I can do most bicycle repairs myself, but would like my bicycle to have a good check-up before leaving Liverpool. Any recommendations for a good shop [understand if that might be a bit iffy to say - mention several if needed
]. Front wheel needs truing. Done it as much as I could back when it became necessary - but I don't have a truing stand, so it could be done better. And having someone else have a look over it would be useful. It's a really 25 year old steel frame that was a racing bike once, but every other part has been replaced since [has mudguards, front and back racks, etc.].4. Absolutely want to go through Wales and have plans for that route, see above - but still playing around with the Cheltenham to France and France to Germany parts of all this. Any tips, tours, routes you really loved that'd cover that? I don't have a specific date I need to be in Germany; am only limited by the money I have available.
Thank you
.-Christof