Paws & Pedal

17/06/2026

MAWBRAY → RAVENGLASS

Said goodbye to my hosts at the The Lowther Arms Mawbray this morning.

As if providing accommodation and feeding me a steak pie from their lovely menu wasn’t enough, they then donated what my stay would normally have cost.

£100.

A huge thank you to everyone involved. The kindness shown on this journey never stops amazing me.

From Mawbray we continued along the remaining stretch of the Solway coast before reaching Maryport, a historic Roman port and one-time major shipping town.

There I met my good friend Rachael for coffee. If you’re ever in the area, check out The The Green Lounge Cumbria at Maryport Golf Club.

From there it was fantastic riding for much of the day.

Excellent cycle paths carried us through Workington, my old stomping ground, and onwards to Whitehaven, once one of Britain’s most important coal and maritime ports.

The only frustration came in Maryport, where a series of barriers and bollards were simply too narrow for the trike.

Poor council planning if you ask me.

Of all the cycle routes I’ve ridden around the UK so far, this is the first place I’ve physically been unable to use a designated cycle path because the access points were too restrictive.

Then came a genuinely emotional moment.

Seaton.

The place where this journey began last July.

We’ve now circumnavigated the coastlines of Scotland and Northern Ireland and ridden all the way back to the place where this adventure started.

A huge milestone.

The whole of northern Britain now sits behind us.

After Whitehaven, however, the day became a bit more challenging.

The climbs became more frequent, the cycle paths disappeared, and my navigation app decided to have a laugh at my expense.

It sent me around Sellafield, Britain’s largest nuclear site, via a cycle route that eventually became far too narrow for the trike.

A lot of energy wasted.

The alternative was the A595.

Not fun.

Fast, winding, hilly and packed with impatient traffic.

One particularly close pass that had my heart in my mouth. Insert wa**er emoji here. 💪🏻🖕🏻

Then, just when I thought the navigation couldn’t get any worse, it sent me down another highly questionable path approaching Ravenglass.

At first glance it looked like another dead end for the trike.

Thankfully we just about squeezed through.

I genuinely didn’t have the energy to turn around and retrace my steps again.

Eventually we rolled into Ravenglass, the only coastal village inside the Lake District National Park and home to the Roman fort of Glannoventa nearly 2,000 years ago.

The trike is now safely stored here for a few days while I take a short break before returning to continue the next chapter of the coastline.

Not every day goes perfectly.

But they all make for a story.

Over £500 raised this week. Let’s keep it going: https://gofund.me/c22fc38ad

📊 TODAY’S STATS

📏 Distance: 76.8 km
⛰️ Elevation Gain: 540 m
📈 Ascent Density: 7.0 m/km
⚡ Average Speed: 16.5 km/h
⏱️ Moving Time: 4h 38m
☀️ Conditions: Drizzle, clearly up in the afternoon

16/06/2026

New York Post picked up our story…

A man was left fighting for his life in a coma after a gin distillery explosion saw him “engulfed in a fireball”.

15/06/2026

ANNAN → MAWBRAY, CUMBRIA

The day started with an invitation to Petsavers in Annan, where Taco was treated to every disgusting-looking animal part imaginable.

She was delighted.

I was then invited to meet our host, Sam, for coffee at The Cafe Royal

And what a host Sam has been.

Aside from putting us up in her family Airbnb, she’d organised a whip-round at The Shed and got us featured in the local paper, and helped raise over £300 for the GoFundMe.

As if that wasn’t enough, Cafe Royal had kindly provided my dinner the night before and insisted on sorting breakfast this morning too.

From there, it was time to ride.

Leaving Annan, we headed south and soon reached one of the biggest milestones of the journey so far.

The border.

Scotland complete.

Crossing into England at Gretna felt surprisingly emotional.

Since leaving Newcastle all those months ago, we’ve circumnavigated the coast of Scotland and completed the coastline of Northern Ireland.

Now only England and Wales remain.

From there, we began following the Solway coast on the Cumbrian side, riding through its vast marshes and open countryside.

Our first major stop was Burgh by Sands, where a monument marks the death of Edward I.

Known as the “Hammer of the Scots”, Edward I died here in 1307 while preparing another campaign against Scotland. His body was temporarily laid in the local church before being taken south for burial.

A significant place in the history of both England and Scotland.

Next came Bowness-on-Solway, one of the most important locations in Roman Britain.

This marks the western end of Hadrian’s Wall, the mighty Roman frontier that once stretched coast to coast across northern England.

It seemed a fitting place to stop for my scone kindly provided by Cafe Royal earlier in the day.

From there it was onwards through Silloth, where we paused for refreshments before tackling the final stretch.

The riding was relatively flat, but there were plenty of miles to cover.

Eventually we rolled into Mawbray, where tonight we’re staying in a camping pod provided by the The Lowther Arms Mawbray

The pub is community-owned and sits just a stone’s throw from the Solway coast, making it a perfect stop on a route like this.

A huge milestone day.

Scotland complete.

England begins.

Loads of donations today thank you. Maybe you’d also like to join the list of legends and donate here: https://gofund.me/03710272c

📊 TODAY’S STATS

📏 Distance: 80.3 km
⛰️ Elevation Gain: 280 m
📈 Ascent Density: 3.5 m/km
⚡ Average Speed: 17.0 km/h
⏱️ Moving Time: 4h 44m
☀️ Conditions: Sunny, warm and ideal riding weather

A big milestone day.

🏴 Scotland complete.
🏴 Northern Ireland complete.
🏴 England underway.

The coastline continues…

14/06/2026

SOUTHERNESS → ANNAN

Another great day on the road today.

We followed the Solway coast eastwards, with our first major stop being Sweetheart Abbey in New Abbey.

Founded in 1273 by Lady Dervorguilla of Galloway in memory of her husband, John Balliol, the abbey gets its unusual name from the fact that she is said to have carried his embalmed heart with her for the rest of her life. When she died, the heart was buried with her in the abbey.

From there we continued on to the magnificent Caerlaverock Castle.

Unlike most castles in Britain, Caerlaverock is triangular in shape and surrounded by a moat, making it one of the most distinctive medieval castles in the country. It played an important role in the Wars of Scottish Independence and was besieged several times due to its strategic position near the English border.

As we continued east, we stopped at Brow Well, a place closely associated with Robert Burns.

It was here in 1796 that Burns came to drink the mineral waters in the hope they would improve his failing health. Sadly, he died just a few weeks later, making Brow Well an important pilgrimage site for admirers of Scotland’s national poet.

From there it was on to Annan.

And once again we’ve been absolutely blown away by the kindness of strangers.

Our hosts today couldn’t have done more for us. Sam Carlyle

Not only have they opened their Airbnb cottage, but they’ve also arranged support from local businesses and the community.

The local pub, The Shed, held a whip-round during Scotland’s World Cup match last night, and a local chip shop The Cafe Royal has kindly donated tonight’s dinner. 🍔

It’s crazy that we leave Scotland behind tomorrow after such a long time riding its coastline. I genuinely don’t know how I feel about it?

Please re-home unwanted money here for sweethearts, poets and all we’re achieving: https://gofund.me/981709dbc

Onwards to England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

📊 TODAY’S STATS

📏 Distance: 63.8 km
⛰️ Elevation Gain: 320 m
📈 Ascent Density: 5.0 m/km
⚡ Average Speed: 16.5 km/h
⏱️ Moving Time: 3h 51m
🌤️ Conditions: Sunny and warm

13/06/2026

KIRKCUDBRIGHT → SOUTHERNESS

After a forced break with a chest infection, we’re finally back on the road.

Hopefully that’s the illness behind us.

After being treated to a huge fish supper and an even larger slice of cheesecake by my hosts last night, we set off this morning from Kirkcudbright and headed towards Southerness.

Thankfully, the weather stayed dry.

Today was an absolute doddle.

One of those rare days where the kilometres seemed to disappear beneath the wheels.

Quiet back roads, rolling countryside, very little traffic and plenty of time to simply enjoy being back out riding again.

The first hiccup of the day came in Dalbeattie when one of my battery packs decided it no longer wanted to be part of the expedition. After a bit of troubleshooting and battery juggling, we got moving again.

Great to bump into Norman there also, who’s definitely looking forward to Scotland’s opening World Cup match in the early hours. (2am kick off)

I then stopped at a garden centre for a coffee, a phone charge and a quick regroup before carrying on.

Soon after, I diverted into Dalbeattie Forest to enjoy my meal deal on a bench.

While there, a chap excitedly told me he’d discovered a baby owl and led me down the trail to take a peek.

Sure enough, there was a young owl sitting on a low hanging branch, seemingly having fallen from its nest.

As I left, I believe he was contacting the appropriate people for advice and assistance, so hopefully the little 🦉 will be alright.

Tonight we’re being hosted at Southerness Holiday Park in a lovely static caravan.

And remarkably, today was the penultimate full day of riding in Scotland.

For being back on the road, World Cup dreams and baby owls give us a click here: https://gofund.me/b85236e10

Tomorrow… we go again.

📊 TODAY’S STATS

📏 Distance: 53.7 km
⛰️ Elevation Gain: 400 m
📈 Ascent Density: 7.4 m/km
⚡ Average Speed: 16.9 km/h
⏱️ Moving Time: 3h 10m
🌤️ Conditions: Dry, sunny spells,

11/06/2026

A little update from me and Taco…

I’m now on my second round of antibiotics. This chest infection has been a stubborn one and really doesn’t seem to want to leave, but after switching from amoxicillin to doxycycline, touch wood, it does seem to be making more of a difference. My energy levels are starting to improve slightly and, for the first time in a while, I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.

The current plan is to head back to Kirkcudbright on Friday and restart the ride on Saturday.

I’ve decided I’m going to take things differently from here on.

One thing this journey has taught me is that it doesn’t need to be rushed. Looking back, I think I was guilty of constantly pushing on without taking proper caution over my health and wellbeing. Part of that was because I never really had a base or somewhere to retreat to when I needed to rest, recover, deal with illness, or fix trike problems.

That’s changed.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet some truly wonderful people through this journey. I I’m also lucky in that if I need to stop and recharge, the Lake District has become a place of refuge for me. There are people there who have my back, and open their beautiful home without hesitation, and make sure both Taco and I are looked after. I found my people.

So the immediate goal is simple: ride for four days and see how my body responds.

The route will take us from Kirkcudbright to Southerness, where we’re being put up in a static caravan. Then on to Annan, where someone who has never even met me has already started fundraising and raised over £100 simply because they believe in what we’re doing. They’re also opening up their cottage for us to stay in.

From Annan we’ll cross back into England, completing Scotland, and make our way to Silloth in Cumbria where, once again, kind people are helping us out with somewhere to stay.

Then…

Around 78 kilometres from Silloth to Ravenglass, home to the remains of the Roman Bath House - one of the tallest surviving Roman structures in Northern Britain and a reminder that travellers have been passing through this corner of Cumbria for nearly 2,000 years.

Ravenglass will also be where I leave the trike for a few more days and take stock.

Grateful that my health seems to be moving in the right direction.

Grateful for every person who has supported this journey.

And grateful that when things have got difficult, complete strangers have repeatedly stepped forward and become friends.

We’ll see how the next four days riding go.

One day at a time.

Drop some love here: https://gofund.me/6db5ddf52

Please also search and subscribe to my YouTube - just search and catch up with the first leg of this journey.

Like, comment, share 🐾❤️🐾

Leigh & Taco 🐾

07/06/2026

Resting up in the Lake District. My energy levels are on the floor although I’ve finished my course of antibiotics I’m still feeling wiped out.

Either way, the plan is to restart from Kirkcudbright next Saturday and see how far we get this time.

Finding hosts is the most challenging part of the journey. I have hosts for 3 of the first 4 days riding.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT > SOUTHERNESS ✅

SOUTHERNESS > ANNAN ✅

ANNAN > SILLOTH, CUMBRIA ❌

SILLOTH > RAVENGLASS ✅

If you know anyone in the Silloth area that can host us please get in touch.

In the meantime, Taco took a telling from Sansa the Hen, here in Eskdale.

Do it for the hen: https://gofund.me/ee0a9ac32

03/06/2026

NORTHERN IRELAND RECAP

The first country of the UK 🇬🇧 coastline completed.

588.9 kilometres.
3,980 metres of climbing.
16 riding days.
Three punctures.
One trike.
One dog.
And countless acts of kindness.

We rolled off the ferry from Cairnryan into Belfast with nowhere to stay on our first night.

Then Barbara stepped in and booked us a room in Carrickfergus.

That was the moment Northern Ireland’s generosity began.

In Carrickfergus, I met fellow burn survivor Mark before enjoying a complimentary tour of Carrickfergus Castle with Jacob.

From there we rode to Larne, where Carol at Seaview Guest House hosted us. We also dropped in at Larne Football Club, who welcomed us onto the pitch and donated shirts to support the cause.

Carrick Rangers FC later donated shirts to Mark on my behalf for the finale fundraising auction.

Next came Carnlough and two nights at the The Harbourview Hotel, Ireland’s first whiskey hotel. They generously donated a bottle of Carnlough Irish Whiskey which we raffled off, eventually raising around £700 for charity.

Then came one of the most beautiful rides of the entire coastline journey along the Antrim Coast to Ballycastle and Ballintoy, where we stayed at the The Fullerton Arms and Guesthouse Inn in the heart of Game of Thrones country.

From Ballintoy we rode to Portrush, where Anne hosted us for three nights during the Northwest 200.

Then on to Derry, where Paul welcomed us and shared some of the city’s remarkable history.

Turning south again, we reached Ballykelly and stayed with Farmer Tom. It was here I woke up to my very first puncture of the entire journey.

The next stop was Ballymoney, where Bann River Cruises hosted us aboard a riverboat for the night – our first overnight stay on a boat anywhere around the UK coastline.

From there we rode to Bellaghy, where Dana hosted us, before suffering two back-to-back punctures on the road south.

With no way to continue, we found ourselves stranded in Castledawson.

Then another act of kindness arrived.

Steph, a follower from Scotland, who once passed me on the road out of Oban contacted me completely out of the blue and booked us into a hotel for the weekend while we waited for replacement tubes to arrive.

Once repaired, thanks to Newbridge Stores for safely storing the trike, we continued to Tandragee, where Natty, Paul and Carol hosted us before an interview with Armagh I the following morning.

Then it was on through the Newry Canal and down to Annalong, where Willowtree Glamping Mournes gave us a beautiful shepherd’s hut to rest in, complete with hot tub.

Around this point my chest started causing problems – issues that would eventually force me to pause the journey altogether.

But first there was one final surprise.

In Newcastle, King Charles was visiting. The Royal Family

We were only a few metres away from him.

Unfortunately, he chose to speak to the lady standing next to me instead.

Gutted.

From Newcastle we rode to Portaferry, where another follower, Clare, kindly booked us a guest house.

And finally, back to Belfast.

The kindness continued right to the very end.

Gale booked me a night at the Malmaison Belfast. The hotel then matched it with a second complimentary night.

Another follower called Leigh, then booked another night for us at a guesthouse on Lisburn Road.

The guest house even paid for a taxi back to collect the trike before we rolled to the ferry terminal and left Northern Ireland. With Stena Line UKIE refunding my ferry ticket after hearing of our quest.

The miles were incredible.

The scenery was spectacular.

But what I’ll remember most is the people.

This entire journey has been powered by the kindness of strangers, and nowhere demonstrated that more than Northern Ireland.

We arrived not knowing where we’d sleep on our first night.

We left having completed our first country of the UK coastline, carrying memories, friendships and acts of kindness that will stay with us forever.

Also Belfast Tandems and City Centre Cycles, Belfast Bike Tours amongst countless others also worth a mention.

Thank you, Northern Ireland.

Until next time. ❤️🐾❤️

If you have £10 that needs re homing drop it in here: https://gofund.me/d6ce2a8b4