Cycling four days London to Stockport - wild camping, and hunting for ancestors along the way

[@apinanraivo100]

What a beautiful country England is.

[@susannathornton]

Hi apinanraivo! Yes it is beautiful. And I like how it is really varied, in a quite small space. Thank you for writing!

[@apinanraivo100]

@@susannathornton Yea, the coastal areas something quite different (than inland), though never been in either of them. Hiking in the English countryside is something I hope I'll do some day. Amazing landscape plus every now and then you can drop by in a tiny tavern/pub for a pint!

[@effyleven]

Let me join the list of those blokes, and blokesses, who REALLY enjoy seeing your stuff! You are a lovely lady, and it is very kind of you to take all of us along. Thank you.

[@susannathornton]

Hi effyleven! Oh that is very nice of you! Thanks for watching my films and thanks for the lovely comment! 😎

[@turnermw602]

I did enjoy your film. Thank you for making such a lovely record of your trip. You are an inspiration!

[@susannathornton]

Hi turnermw! Thanks for the lovely comment! glad you liked the film! happy cycling! 😁🚲

[@martyjames6204]

What a wonderful video (beautifully filmed too!). I was born in England and my brother and i used to ride our bikes through the glorious English countryside. Left England when i was 11. In my 40's returned and found all the places i loved as a child. I also found my great great grandfathers grave in the Cotswolds. Have lived in NZ and Australia most of my life now but videos like yours bring me home to beautiful England - thanks!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Marty! aw that must have been amazing to go and find the places you knew as a child. And your great great grandfather's grave even. Must have been wonderful. Yeh it makes a journey into much much more, doesn't it, when you're tracing a story, especially a personal one. Thanks for writing! Best wishes!

[@blackdogwildtrails3123]

Respect! Love what you can do on a little Brompton and impressed how much gear you manage to pack. I like you're stealth camping philosophy too. Look forward to more vlogs.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Black Dog! thanks for watching! Yes I do like camping wild. It is a quite different experience from campsite camping isn't it. Thanks for writing!

[@Rabe1907]

Du machst das prima ! ❤ DANKE !!!

[@susannathornton]

Hallo Rabe1907! Bitte! Danke fürs Zuschauen!

[@pawchristensen109]

Precisely 10.000 subscribers! Deserved. I am totally addicted to your videos after watching three part trip to Sweden backwards. Keep including history. Such a joy to watch your journeys. :-)

[@susannathornton]

Hi pawchristensen! oh thanks for watching! glad you like the films! you might like the one about going on the trail of some of my Swedish husband's ancestors too, wild camping. I learned so much, saw where they had lived and what it is like now there, and how it all connects. i have a history PhD actually, love history. 10k subscribers! Yes, amazing! lovely people! it is so nice to read comments and chat. Best wishes!

[@thomani9]

Another highly enjoyable 'quest' cycling trip and some fine scenery and pretty villages too. Thanks for tipping me off about this video. I look forward to watching more 🚲

[@susannathornton]

oh great glad you liked it Thomani!

[@Jo-sz2yh]

Hello Susanna. Thank you for sharing your adventures, big and small. Your videos are really inspirational. Happy cycling!

[@kc3718]

capturing the simple essence of a meaningful cycle touring journey, wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

[@susannathornton]

Hi kc! Thanks for writing! Hope your Morridge project going well!

[@kevina6587]

@@susannathornton just been on a three day adventure to the Berwyns, crossing the Wayfarer path first negotiated by bicycle in 1922 ( not by me ! ) , and where the RSF has a memmorial. Then crossed the 800 metre peaks of the Berwyn ridge, a precipitous edifice, littered with ancient cairns. A glacial trough with a corrie below, where ice masses launched across Shropshire from. Then a descent to a bronze age valley, camping in the dimunitive stone circle, next to a stone row. The star scape was amazing, as a enquiring fox awoke me to it. Moved my bed out of the tent to fall asleep to pondering it. Next day a bog trott to a waterfall higher than Niagra at Pistyll Rhaedr, and then the lanes home. instagram.com/stonerandonneur/ sorry i'm kc but mixed up my accounts...more at home on a bike than 'puting !

[@sw8536]

So fun! I thinks it's brilliant that you visited your distant family's village. Your trip looked cold at times but you kept on. Love seeing beautiful England in the Spring by speed of bike!

[@susannathornton]

Hi SW! Oh you put it very well, seeing things at bike speed, yes that is what I like doing. I enjoyed seeing the village. It was so small!! It was moving actually, to be there in the fields and quiet, and then go to Sheffield and the hubbub. I knew my great grandmother actally, the lady in the photo. She lived a long life and died in 1974.

[@helenenevoldson3989]

Thank you for another lovely video. You capture the landscapes you ride through really evocatively.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Helen! Thank you! what a lovely comment. I did really enjoy seeing the landscape change from once county to the next, crossing the rivers and things.

[@BrianthatiscalledBrian]

That is amazing that you found the stone in the churchyard. Great trip, thank you. 👍🙂🚴‍♂️🏕️

[@susannathornton]

Hi Brian, yeh it was exciting. Especially cos my grandmother had talked about that place, cos she had heard about it, but even she had never been there, as far as I know. Then to actually go to the village, and find the stones was really exciting. Thanks for the comment!!

[@thenextjam]

Great sunrise picture from behind the tree.Perfect.

[@susannathornton]

Hi older and wiser! thanks for watching! Yeh it was a nice spot that. The hedge sheltered from me the north wind and I could enjoy both sunset and sunrise. Sometimes things work out!

[@fujifatbike5793]

Aaaahhhhh.....what a beautiful, calming and poignant journey. Watching this puts me in a state of pleasant contemplation. England has such tranquil countryside, beautiful green spaces, rolling hills, vast array of pubs and restaurants, ancient churches, etc... It has so much heritage and history. By the way, if it was me I would have ordered the extra large fish and chips because you guys make the best. Thank you Susanna!

[@susannathornton]

Haha yes those fish and chips were brilliant. Nice bloke too. The next day I had an pretty brilliant burger too but I ate it sitting on the kerb in a car park behind the generator of the burger van, which wasnt quite so scenic so I didn't put that in haha. Thanks for watching!

[@madiantin]

Really wonderful video! I used to live in Loughborough, and haven't been back in decades. Seeing you cycling through Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, and seeing the names of towns I remembered - it made my heart leap and flip. It's been too long. I'm getting so homesick.

[@susannathornton]

Hi madiantin! Aw thanks for the lovely comment. Yeh I really enjoyed Leics and Nottinghamshire. Especially Leicestershire seems just beautiful for cycling, fabulous little lanes and it was really quiet - more bikes than cars on the roads I was on. Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts!

[@arildschonberg3607]

Why do you live in the city of London, when you love the countryside so much. I too, have chosen to move from Stockholm to the vicinity of the National Park of Tyresta. I I love the fresh air, relative quiet 🤫 and the song of birds in the morning.

[@bridgetquercia-smale9236]

Hello Suzanna, courageous and inspiring lady. At about 20.17 you beat yourself up but it can rain on anyone body, you are doing brilliant. Now I have watched all your videos and enjoyed them very much. Especially the first one as I too worked in Hong Kong. Have done some B & B cycle touring in the past and you are inspiring me to wild camp. Have tried the tent in the garden the last few nights, its a gentle intro to the big wide world! Looking forward to more of your videos. Well done.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Bridget! Oh sounds great that you are out there camping in the garden! Sounds like a perfect way to confirm you've got all the things you need, and practise everything so you are confident you can handle it all, so you can just enjoy it when you head out. Actually when I camped in my cousin's garden a few weeks ago, a cat jumped on the tent, twice. Really big thumps, very close obviously. It was one of the scariest things I have ever experienced in a tent haha! I mean, no animal has like thrown itself at my tent before. I imagined it was a massive badger or something huge like that and shouted a bit to scare it off. Poor neighbours! In the morning, I looked at the flysheet and there were its muddy paw prints! I checked the pawprints against common pawprints it was definitely just a cat. Anyway, you reminded me. Wild camping is gonna be a breeze for you after you conquered the garden. Woo! Happy cycling and happy camping!

[@delmonti]

....what a wonderful thing to do, love it

[@susannathornton]

Hi David! Thanks! what a wonderful thing to say.

[@zainudinmuhammad5972]

Brilliant .. enjoy the beautiful scenery .. welldone!!!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Zainadin Muhammad! Glad you liked the film! I enjoyed seeing the scenery change, as I went north. Felt nice to go "home" like that. Thank you for writing

[@jasonloke2219]

Lots of bird song and nice landscapes. Thanks for sharing!!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Jason! Hope you are well! Thanks for writing. Yeh the birdsong was gorgeous on this ride. The fact that I record sound makes me notice it more actually. I am learning how to use a Zoom H2n sound recorder, which I used on this trip, but I messed up quite a lot of the recordings, too much wind noise (despite a little furry muff) and other mistakes. Thanks for watching! and listening haha 👂

[@jasonloke2219]

@@susannathornton Yes, there is loads of bird song in your whole video. Your dad looks slim and fit!

[@susannathornton]

Oh I will let my Dad know you said that!! He will be pleased. He cycles pretty much every day himself actually. I can hardly keep up with him.

[@jasonloke2219]

@@susannathornton Yes, your Dad n Mary both look slim n fit!!

[@craiglouw4057]

Love Love Love your videos 👍👍👍

[@susannathornton]

Aw Craig thanks so much! Love love love your comments!

[@furkuk]

Another lovely adventure 😊😊

[@susannathornton]

Hi furkuk! thanks for watching! and thanks for the lovely comment 😊😊

[@oscarr.g.509]

Beautiful ! I have been viewing several of your videos in the last days and really enjoying their peaceful atmosphere and the calmness you have approaching every aspect of your trips. I was lucky to be friends with the author of the Backpacking in Britain and Bikepacking for beginners books (published in the 70s), and your travels made me remind how much I enjoyed reading them.

[@susannathornton]

Aw how lovely, thanks for writing Oscar. I just looked up Backpacking in Britain and found a lovely online review of it, by someone who said it changed their life. There were books like that weren't there. I still have an Usborne childrens "Outdoor handbook" from the 1970s, which I used to read and read and dream of being on of those people with bobble hats on walking and camping, pages fell out but I still have it...

[@oscarr.g.509]

@@susannathornton Yes those books are still lovely to read, and amazing how light some of the materials were already back then, and how many of them are still going strong and will do for many years to come (i.e. Trangia). Best wishes and thanks for sharing ! :)

[@alannorman1773]

Fascinating video, particularly when I found out your ancestors have the same family name as mine!! Love the birdsong too.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Alan! Glad you liked it! Yes, Norman! Good name! 😁

[@ste7193]

What a journey!! I always look forward to your trips out Susanna, thanks a mil.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Ste71! Thanks for watching! And for writing. It is so encouraging to get nice comments! 😁

[@vernonosier6610]

very enjoyable. would like to see more of this type videos. thank you.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Vernon! thanks for the lovely comment! Glad you liked the film. More coming!

[@peterstecks7660]

Fabulous. Really enjoyed. Thanks. I'm from Stockport. Best not tell anybody... ;)

[@susannathornton]

Hi Peter! aw thanks! nice to meet a fellow Stockport person too😎

[@gnarlybadger690]

Enjoyed watching your journey Susanna thanks for sharing

[@susannathornton]

Hi Peter! Thanks for writing! Glad you enjoyed it

[@mithuharjani3620]

Thank you x100=👍✨

[@rosegordon4297]

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing video, i enjoyed the lovely scanery on your journey. xx

[@susannathornton]

Hi Rose! Thanks for the lovely comment! glad you liked the film! 😎

[@berenicek9467]

Absolutely loved this video! You make it seem so do able! I bike, but have never bikepacked. I think I would be nervous wild camping- somebody would catch me camping on their land! Haha! England looks so picturesque and historic! Beautiful.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Berenice! Thanks for writing to say you liked the film, so nice to hear that people like them. About wild camping, I have hardly ever seen anyone actually when I've been camping. And on the rare occasions that someone has come by and found me they have actually been nice eg had a long chat and invited me for coffee (Germany), or provided water via a hosepipe (Turkey). I am always careful, leave no trace of course, and arrive late and leave early. Anyway, thanks so much for watching, and for the nice comment!

[@migranthawker2952]

Absolutely brilliant!!!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Migrant Hawker! Oh thank you! Glad you liked the film! 😁

[@Bokooda]

Again, another wonderful diary of one of your journeys. You need to give yourself a big pat on the back for all your hard word and effort. I can't think of a better way to travel to historically significant places than on your bike, your ancestors would have left those villages on foot or at the most on the back of a horse and cart all those years ago... Thank you for posting another inspirational video. Well done!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Bokooda! thanks for the lovely comment. You put it so well. Yes, I only had tiny scraps of information about those people, as told to me by my Nana, but once I had ridden quietly into that tiny village and then cycled from there to Sheffield, I did feel like I had a much better idea of the story of their lives. So nice. Thanks for watching, and for writing!

[@chrisw6704]

I really enjoyed your film. It seemed to have two missions not only to visit your Dad but also your ancestors. What a joy the countryside of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire was to see, none of them get the attention of the Peak District or the Lakes or National Parks but their rolling hill looked a joy. Thank you for sharing.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Adam! yes, about Buckinghamshire and Northants so on, that's what I thought too - they are not really counties that people think of going to visit, exactly, but they were really lovely - nice villages, gorgeous lanes, and super quiet and relaxing. The Peak District was quite busy in comparison, esp cos it was a Sunday, and everyone was out enjoying it, so the roads there were comparatively busy. Thanks for watching!

[@pootlingalong8928]

What a lovely video and story! My heart jumped a bit when you went through Easton Maudit, Grendon and sat by the Nene eating your roll, the twin posts there are where I prop MY Brompton when I stop for a break with my flask of hot chocolate in the winter, coffee in the summer! I live about 6 miles away and that route is on my habitual weekend 20 mile bike ride. Thank you in particular for showing that moment when you were a bit down, a bit fed up, what with the cold and the wet and everything, a moment known I think to all who backpack or strap their camping gear to a bike - thank goodness for daybreak and a fresh page to write upon! I love the story you wove into this journey and your desire to connect to your ancestors through a visit to the spaces they would have occupied. Another small and utterly delightful story, thank you so much for sharing :)

[@susannathornton]

Hello Pootling along! Oh that is amazing that I stopped for a break in your exact hot chocolate and coffee spot there by the river! It was so nice round there in your patch, I loved it. About being downhearted, yeh those moments do happen don't they. I was mainly annoyed with myself that time actually, because I had got my jacket and trousers really wet, and my shoes were soaked too. And actually I could have easily kept dry by simply putting my waterproofs on, but I was silly and impatient when I was pitching my tent in the rain. I had thought I could pitch it fast and get away with it, but I fumbled the tent really badly and ended up really wet. And it was going to freeze hard overnight, so it was quite a bad mistake. Lesson learned! Thanks for the lovely comment! Hope you are enjoying some nice bike rides in this summer weather. Best wishes!

[@pootlingalong8928]

@@susannathornton Hi - I did Lands End to John O'Groats this summer on my Brompton. Like yours it is a basic 3 speed with a reduced chainring. I took 5.5 weeks to do the trip as I was carrying all my camping gear and my small dog on the front! Without camping and without the dog I would still have taken a long time, I'm an unfit cyclist and pottering along doing about 30 miles a day is plenty for me. I had a few down moments of my own while on the tour when I stupidly got all my gear wet and, as you say, you get annoyed with yourself. I had a rule about keeping one set of clothes dry at all times, and it really isn't difficult, but you get tired don't you and everything slides :) Hope you are well and getting out and about in the fresh air, fingers crossed for a nice weekend.

[@susannathornton]

@@pootlingalong8928 Hello! How wonderful!! Even with your dog, haha that's fantastic!! These last couple of days, I was away cycle camping with a lovely old schoolfriend, and I read your message whilst we were out. We thought you were exactly right - it's when you get tired (and hungry) that things start to slide and you make mistakes, and then other mistakes, and things kind of spiral downwards... Having read your comment and reflected on it, we thought we better have a nice stop straight away, and a sit and a bun and some coffee haha. Hope you are recovered and cleaned up all the kit again now. That takes ages doesn't it. After getting back last night, there are two tents sort of up here in the flat drying out and it is a bit of a mess everywhere. Thanks so much for the lovely message! Best wishes!

[@micksoden7064]

Infectious 😊.most charming channel

[@susannathornton]

Thanks for watching Mick! Glad that you enjoy the films!

[@ODOB]

Great stuff. I was wondering when you will be releasing another video. Haven't watched it yet, but I know it's gonna be good. Thanks for sharing.

[@bob-ny6kn]

Thank you for showing the Brompton is good enough for touring. Well done with the camping enroute, too.

[@LifeontwowheelsRocks]

I enjoyed sharing the trip. I really admire the way you travel, your courage and resourcefulness is truly remarkable.

[@susannathornton]

Hello! Hope you guys are well! Oh you are very kind, but I am just tootling along from one coffee stop to the next, as you can see - I watched the film myself and seem to be constantly having coffee and munching things haha. Thanks for watching! Happy cycling!

[@jasonloke2219]

That mini fish n chips at 17:00 looks terrific!!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Jason! Yep! Actually, in my alerts, I could see only half of your comment, so I was wondering whether you were going to "terrible" or "terrific". Haha. They were kind of both 😛😋

[@jasonloke2219]

@@susannathornton terrific, of course

[@ascot1049]

Brilliant as always , inspirational. Keep them coming.

[@susannathornton]

Hi ascot104! Thanks for watching! and for being so supportive! really nice of you

[@martinreed9264]

Excellent video 😀 your an inspiration! Building up the courage to do something similar. Well done and keep them coming!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Martin! Thank you for watching! glad you liking the film. Great that you are planning something similar. It know it takes a bit of courage, same for me. For me the key thing is to fix a day to go. Once I have done that, then everything just flows from there, planning a route (fun!) and choosing food (also nice! I enjoy planning nice things to eat) and putting my gear together (somehow always takes me longer than it should). But then it's done! And I am off! And literally the minute I pedal away from the front door, and I am out in the air, and on the way, it feels so good. Where are you planning on riding? Keep us posted! Best wishes!

[@JohnWilliams-ge7eh]

Thank you for your videos and taking us all along on your adventurers 🚴‍♀️👍

[@susannathornton]

Hi John! Thank you for coming along! and for the lovely comment 😎🚲

[@wojownikswiata4549]

Great travels...

[@엠제이MJ]

It's great video:) I really enjoyed your cycling&camping trip because I also have a Brompton! Thank you for sharing your adventures. from Korea.

[@susannathornton]

Glad you enjoyed it! thank you for watching!

[@ramblinonandon]

Very interesting video. Inspiring to see your travels.

[@susannathornton]

Thanks! glad you liked it. Thank you for the very nice comment

[@jellyartist]

I wanted to wait until I had long enough to watch it all. Glad I did. Great film, Susanna. You’ve really upped your game re the film making. A lot of really well thought out shots and cllips that added a lot to the quality and atmosphere. I know it’s a lot of extra effort to make some of those shots when you have enough on with the trip and catering etc, but it’s really worth it for the film. Well done! And if you cycled up Winnats you need a medal. I cycled up and down it as a lad and it’s a beast - (Cattle grid doesn’t help, especially on the way down0. Looking forward to the next one and great to see your subs are growing. Well deserved.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Vin! Thanks for such a nice comment! Yeh I really enjoyed making this film actually, planning it, and then doing it, and then trying to edit the film so it works as a thing. Thanks so much for watching and and writing such a thoughtful comment. I read it out to my husband too, haha, so pleased! No medals for Winnats for me though. I did also ride up it when I was a lass, long ago... But this time walked, or well sort of slaved, all the way from Speedwell Cavern haha. But once it's done, that road under Rushup Edge is so nice! I love it that you have a long, long road high up and pretty much flat with brilliant views to look at all the way along. Hope the painting and everything going well. I used your videos to help try and do a watercolour. No great success on that but I really enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@jellyartist]

Ah, watercolour is a tricky medium. When I started doing it properly it nearly drove me to tears as it’s so different from oils, which I used to paint in normally. Great that you are getting into the film making process. I love it and am hoping I can get out to paint sometime soon. It makes for more interesting films, plus you are outdoors, which, as you know, is wonderful. Take care out there. X

[@hshroyalnloyal2058]

You're indeed my inspirations to cycling around my country. Lots love from 🇲🇾❤️

[@susannathornton]

Hello! Oh that sounds fantastic. Do it! And please post films! sounds amazing wild camping and cycling in Malaysia. Would love to see what it is like

[@teresarose9915]

Hi Susanna, i also have a brompton which I have traveled overnight via Train. Have not done it in awhile with the pandemic, but watching you has inspired me!!! Gonna see if I can plan something soon. I connect a backpack on the back of the seat to the rack. Also have same handlebars you have. Backpack and smaller front bag make it easier to carry it all on the train. Gonna check out your other videos as well :)

[@susannathornton]

Hi Teresa Rose! Great! Sounds like you have got a nice set up! Thanks for writing! Happy cycling!

[@RottenMechGaming]

You found some absolutely cracking spots to camp! Nice video :)

[@susannathornton]

Hi Rottenlead! thanks for the lovely comment! yeh I was lucky! The spot high up above a valley was one of the most perfect I have ever had - sheltered by the hedge from the wind (icy!), far from any road cos I had gone along two fields, high up so I had a massive view, and facing south so I got the sunset and the sunrise too, sitting at my tent door. Loved it. Thanks for watching!

[@RottenMechGaming]

@@susannathornton Looked stunning and I wonder if you get a compass out to check where sunset/sunrise is or just go by the lay-of-the-land first? I guess it's easy when you are on a beach - you just point the door at the sea. :) I was watching your Irish trip - you picked a cold wet time to go but it's always raining anyway. I once completed a tour down the West Coast from Sligo down via Westport/Galway etc. That was stunning in the summer back in 1990! This year I visited Sligo again and also did a walk along the Shannon Blueway which is very central and along a nice canal. I did wish I had my Brompton but I had not packed it. Really enjoying the content :)

[@RottenMechGaming]

@@susannathornton On a related note. Have you created a gear video with the various bags and how you pack light etc? I was wondering how you dry shoes after a day in the rain, do you have more than one pair?

[@susannathornton]

@@RottenMechGaming Yeh I do use a compass for that sometimes, if I can choose which way I put the tent door, to make sure I get it right! just the compass on the OS app. I have a crappy sense of direction so I need it! Glad you are enjoying the films! Sligo down into Galway must have been great.

[@davidsmart1819]

Another great video Thankyou.I have recently bought a 6 geared Brompton and I am planning to do my first tour on it in July,this will be from Campbeltown to Oban.I have toured on “normal “ bikes before,having the folding bike will make it much easier to do a linear tour I hope.Your videos have proved to be a great source of inspiration!

[@susannathornton]

Hi David! Thanks for watching! and for writing. I also toured a lot on normal bikes. But I do like touring on my Brompton - as you say it makes linear tours so easy to do. At the end of this ride, I stayed in Stockport a couple of days, then rode to the station and took the train back to London. So easy. Hope you enjoy the ride to Oban! Sounds great! happy cycling!

[@davidsmart1819]

@@susannathornton Thanks for taking the time to reply Susanna it really is appreciated

[@alankennett9945]

You are a true inspiration Susanna. Love your longer videos.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Alan! Thank you for the lovely comment! Actually it is hard to decide what length will be right. My first draft on this one was 30 mins long. Then I cut it down a bit... Thank you for watching!

[@razifmahathir2437]

Greetings from sunny and locked down Malaysia. What a lovely video of the english countryside on your ride up to Stockport. I do miss the sight and smell of the spring bluebells since moving out here 16 years ago. Great to see swathes of greenery once out of the city and so much history

[@susannathornton]

Hi Razif! Thanks for writing. Oh I hope the lockdown can be lifted soon there, and everywhere. Glad you enjoyed the film and that you have happy memories of living in the UK. Thank you for the lovely comment!

[@jonathanjones5282]

I honestly look forward to seeing your videos,thank you .

[@susannathornton]

Hi Jonathan! Thanks for the nice comment! glad you enjoy the videos

[@chantalborremans5480]

I can say it in french ? C’est la deuxième fois que je regarde cette vidéo, c’est une belle quête de partir sur les traces de tes ancêtres. Grâce à toi j’ai découvert encore de beaux paysages. Et je suis nostalgique parce que mon grand père maternel qui était musicien, venait du Maroc, dans le sud et j’ai tellement peu de renseignements sur lui… mais je suis allée dans cette région pour ressentir ce beau pays. Merci Susanna, tu me fais toujours rêver de beaux voyages en Brompton.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Chantal! Thanks for watching! I'm so glad you liked the film. It sounds like you did a similar kind of journey, in the footsteps of your ancestors. Like you, I had only tiny scraps of info. But after I had been to that little village, and then done the journey from there to Sheffield, I did feel that I understood things a bit better. So nice that you did a similar journey, in Morocco. That is very cool. Thanks so much for writing x

[@harisuso]

nice route and excellent video. Greetings

[@susannathornton]

Thank you for the lovely comment! 😁

[@bernesepuppy]

Thanks for another lovely journey.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Paul! Thanks for watching, and for a lovely comment!

[@kevintipcorn6787]

How great to stumble over this absolute gem of a video. I'm planning a bike trip up to near Chester once I've had my second jab and I was thinking of maybe using the Midshires way up to the peak district and cutting across sideways from there. I'll be taking some pointers from your route, you did a great job on it and managed to find some good places to pitch along the way it seems. It's my first bike camping trip in the UK, I've only done the Pacific Coast in California and that's basically one straight line down highway 1, so you can imagine how happy I am to accidentally find someone with a similar route already planned out and done, and done well at that. Thanks for the video.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Kevin! Hope you enjoy the trip! I just checked out the Midshires Way and it looks like it'd be brilliant. I see it cuts across south of Matlock to Buxton. Great! Happy cycling!

[@sellignomod83]

Thanks for sharing. Beautiful journey, wish I was there. I bought a Brompton recently, will be getting it by end of October 2021, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Can’t wait!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Sellig Nomod! Thanks for the lovely comment. Have a lovely time on your Brompton when you get it - not long now...! 😊🚲

[@spencerdodds2207]

I love your videos, they make me want to load my bike up and peddle off for a couple of days. I think I’ll go next week.

[@susannathornton]

The weather forecast looks good doesn't it, in the UK anyway. Tempting!!

[@billhambelton7698]

Really look forward to your videos coming out Susanna. Great old school travelling.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Bill! haha thanks! That's a nice comment. Thank you for watching and for writing😄

[@guaraciramires9390]

I like your camps.

[@barriewylde5915]

I love the English countryside.I also ride a 16 in wheel folder a bike Friday.have a safe trip enjoy your posts thanks🚲🇨🇦

[@susannathornton]

Hi Barrie! thanks for the message! Happy cycling there in CA!

[@erickstiner1668]

Susanna, I just found your channel and Holywha, what great adventures. I have a friend, Steve Chopper, who has ridden a Brompton on an American adventure. You both have inspired me to purchase my first Brompton. I bikepack here in Michigan and am looking forward to the versatility of travel with a Brompton. Thanks for creating your videos.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Erick! thanks for writing! Happy cycling!

[@daveadriffield7296]

Thanks for taking us along. I'm planning to cycle on my folding bike to where I was born in Yorkshire.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Dave! Thanks for watching, and for writing too. Best wishes for the ride to Yorkshire

[@adrianstrand1120]

Another great Brompton adventure 👍🏻

[@susannathornton]

Hi Adrian! Thanks for watching! and for the nice comment 😁

[@stropskoj]

Thanks for sharing great 👍 videos!!!hope 1 day i go for Bromy trip;)

[@susannathornton]

Hi there! thanks for watching! Glad you like the videos! happy cycling! 😊🚲

[@terrysallbikes]

Great video and particularly liked the family history content. Really enjoyed following your journey

[@susannathornton]

Hi Terry! Thanks for watching! I was going to go to Dunlop St too actually, but turns out everything's been knocked down round there. It's right by the Meadowhall shopping centre. Anyway, love poking around doing history. Thanks for the nice comment!

[@DavidJones-hb3ir]

Great video, I find all your trips inspirational but this one was so close to my home when you cycled through Tea Green Hertfordshire, I'll be off down that long scenic hill in the next hour or so.

[@susannathornton]

HI David! Oh sounds lovely... Nice morning for it! I really liked the lanes round there. Why is it called Tea Green by the way? I looked it up to try and find out after I got back home, but I couldn't find any explanation! Thanks for watching!

[@svenfischer4834]

Very nice video! Thank you!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Sven! Thank you! 😊

[@colinwellman9480]

That was really nice to watch although it looked a bit cold! Thanks for sharing.

[@susannathornton]

It was a bit cold! Surprised how hard it froze that last night. There was even ice in my water bottles. Thanks for watching Colin! Best wishes!

[@threedot141]

Thank you for the lovely video! I have always felt that the beautiful countryside is best seen from a bike, and I think you show that very well. I also love your choice of camping spots. Like the music too!

[@susannathornton]

Hi John! Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the film! Yes I agree that countryside is best seen from the saddle of a bike - especially because I am slow, I can see everything, and of course on a bike you not only see, but also get the smells, and the sounds, and you feel the air temperature and the wind, and the ups and downs... I often look at the car people, and all the the motorhome people that are out at the moment, and I feel sorry for them that they miss out on so much of the experience of being out in the countryside actually, cos they only get what they see through the windscreen. Thanks for the lovely comment!

[@geoffgafford5182]

Interesting to see that you can get your Brommie into the porch of a Laser Comp. I must try it with mine. Great video.

[@susannathornton]

I was really impressed by the Laser actually. Haven't used it much recently. Huge interior, and loads of space kind of under the tail ends of the fly too, so I could put my stove there. The only thing was it was a bit fiddly to pitch and I was a bit out of practice. You can see I didn't do a very good job at the first spot, a bit flappy. Thanks for watching, and for writing!

[@databasenomad]

You're amazing - I'm a digital nomad with a bicycle - travelling like you, doing a 50 miles a day - I really love your video's

[@susannathornton]

Hi Sarah! wow that sounds like an interesting life! thanks for watching! and for writing 😁🚲

[@keithdainton6043]

Lovely to see you back makes my 10 k loop seem a bit tame but then again I have not got the famous cooking pot to keep me going lol.

[@susannathornton]

Hello Keith! haha nice to see you back too. Yeh, I cant manage much without some nice hot food. And when i was feeling a bit flat, it did cheer me up just to put the kettle on. Small things

[@sharonbishop2651]

Ah you have just cycled past my house into Castleton , that was weird but very much enjoyed your trip.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Sharon! Thanks for writing! Glad you enjoyed the film! It sounds like you live in a lovely place

[@angiee7415]

You inspired me! Thanks for sharing, Im a newbie.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Angie! Glad you liked the films! Thanks for subscribing! Happy cycling! 😁🚲⛺🌞

[@secretdaisy6484]

That was a great look at the beautiful pastoral countryside. 👍☮️🌞🌟🚴‍♀️🏕

[@susannathornton]

Hi! thanks for watching! And for the lovely comment and all the little piccies!

[@alanbradshaw4431]

What a cracking ride and such an excellent video about it, well done and thank you for sharing your adventure!. Crikey yer did look cold though!, maybe gloves next time?...

[@susannathornton]

Hi Alan! thanks for the nice comment! yeh it was a bit chilly haha, at night especially, and on some of those mornings and evenings. I did have long-finger gloves with me actually, and wore them sometimes, but they make me really fumbly with my phone and things, so I sometimes I don't wear them. Maybe I should go back to wearing cycling mitts, the ones with no fingers. I used to use them but stopped wearing them for touring, cos they didn't seem 100% necessary and they got dirty and needed washing etc. Hmm... Thanks for watching!!

[@peterwynn120]

Well done Susanna, a fabulous video of your trip to see your dad, it's just brightened up a dreary wet day here in Shropshire, thank you.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Peter! Oh that's good! glad that it brightened up the day! I loved that trip. So nice to see the landscape change, county by county, and I also liked it that the journey made me understand a bit more about where all those English rivers are. Rivers seem to get kind of overlooked, in modern life. But on a bike going slowly as I do, you actually see the rivers, instead of flashing past in a car, and you feel the rise and fall of the river valleys as you ride. I like that. Thanks for the lovely comment!!

[@amieemchutchon411]

You remind me a lot of the unintentional gypsy. She is an artist and youtuber. It’s the simple loves of life 💕

[@susannathornton]

Hi Aimee! Oh that's interesting! I just looked at her channel and it is lovely. Thanks for the comment!

[@terryc8164]

Cracking video, thank you.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Terry! Thanks! Best wishes!

[@kitchencarvings4621]

I've always wanted one of those folding bikes. I think it would be great to keep in the back seat for when I wanted to take a break from driving and stretch my legs without having to carry a bike on a rack and worry about it getting stolen.

[@susannathornton]

Yeh it is super handy to have a nifty folding bike. You're right, much easier to lock away than a big one

[@macmcelroy6165]

all's i can say is that i'm damn envious of this excursion !

[@susannathornton]

HI mac mcelroy, thanks for watching... glad you enjoyed the film and hope you can do an adventure you want to do too

[@IanBays]

Lovely video.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Ian! Thanks! lovely comment

[@WheelsonaBike]

Great idea to go on a little bike tour to visit your dad. Just gave me an idea!

[@susannathornton]

Hi! thanks for watching! It's v nice tootling around and seeing people. Happy cycling!

[@annaleonie2731]

You inspire me.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Anna! aw thanks for the lovely comment! glad you enjoyed the film

[@oschibaby3471]

Thanks for sharing this video Susanna! You've probably had these questions hundreds of times already: a) Why do you fold up the Brompton before retiring for the night? b) What are the advantages/disadvantages of touring on a Brompton? Best from Munich, Germany

[@susannathornton]

Hi Oschi, thanks for writing! Actually not many people have asked about folding the bike during the night. The reasons I do that are (i) if I am in a campsite, it is the easiest and safest thing to do. As I mostly travel alone, there is only me watching over my stuff, so if I go to the shower or loo block I don't want my bike to be visible and tempting to steal. And (ii) If I am camping wild, I put the bike in the tent in order to minimise how visible I am. I want my stuff tidied away neat and compact, and low visual impact, so that it is harder for anyone to spot me. So I put everything inside my low small green tent. Then about the advantages etc of the Brompton for touring, well, the main advantage is that I can combine the bike with public transport. With a large wheel bike, it is a hassle and often costs money to take the bike on trains, impossible on buses, a hassle on ferries, and a hassle in cars, taking wheels off and moving the seats out and so on. With the Brompton, none of that happens. I just fold up the bike and gear and walk on board any train, bus, ferry etc, or call a cab or friend with their car. So I can plan trips really flexibly and use all sorts of public transport. And the other advantage of a Brompton specifically rather than other folders is the Brompton is very well made and high quality so I trust it. I am sure others are good too, but the Brompton seem to be top of its class, as far as I can see. Then about disadvantages, well the main one is that on rough terrain I have to go more slowly on the Brompton than on a large-wheel bike. So on cobbles, rough tarmac, along potholey roads, rubbly tracks etc, I am relatively slow. That is it really. The other possible disadvantages, eg not having much space to carry gear compared to a large-wheel touring bike, I have largely overcome by minimising my kit and packing it as cleverly as I can. The other thing, sort of a disadvantage but mainly jsut something to to bear in mind and plan for, is that spare tubes and tyres are harder to get hold of. That's it really. Hope that is helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@oschibaby3471]

@@susannathornton Thanks for the infos Susanna and keep up the good work!

[@andyml1]

Another inspiring video Susanna, I’m assuming you use Marathon Plus tyres…if not I’d be interested to know what you fit. Happy Bromptoneering to you. 😃

[@susannathornton]

Hello! Yes I have Marathon Plus tyres and they are brilliant. Thanks for watching!

[@davidhale1568]

Once again excellent 👌 Incidentally the new compact Lazer tent is a bit less fiddly to pitch the two person one weighs just a few onces more has a much bigger porch for bike storage and a few other improvements tho it would be more accurate to call it a one person and a medium size dog tent! The foot print is a little bigger which might exclude it from really tight spots. 😊

[@susannathornton]

Hi David! Ah that's interesting re the new Laser. Glad to know that Terra Nova are continuing to improve it. Yeh my old Laserlite is definitely fiddly to pitch compared to my Akto, but still a great tent. I had forgotten just now much space you get under the fly, and inside the inner. Nice. Thanks for the lovely comment! Glad you liked the film 😎

[@DaveGoodman1959]

Wonderful ❤ Did you say your ancestor was a policeman as on my Dads side our oldest known ancestor was also a police man and moved to Leicestershire from Dartmouth. Nice to see you travelling back through Leicestershire and some of the routes I've used too. Did you manage to cycle up wynnats pass, ? I have tried 3 times but had to stop and I dont think there would be much chance of succeeding now. A beautiful video. Kind regards. 👍⛺❤

[@susannathornton]

Hi Dave! Thanks for writing! Yes he was a policeman in Attercliffe in Sheffield, according to the census, my Great Grandpa's father. I do wonder how he managed to go from being a farm boy to being a policeman. About your policeman ancestor, that's a long journey that he did, from Dartmouth. I wonder how that came about too. About Winnats, oh yes, I walked up it too. I found even walking wasn't easy haha. Never mind! Best wishes!

[@DaveGoodman1959]

@@susannathornton cheers ❤

[@julesmorrissey]

Winnats Pass on a Brompton? Respect!

[@susannathornton]

Haha you obviously know that road! I got off and walked. Still quite hard!

[@helenaengstrom1551]

Jättefin film 🥰

[@susannathornton]

Aw tack så mycket!!! 🥰 du är så snäll

[@Trevor.Adams640]

I’m tempted to cycle your route in reverse. I live not far from Melton Mowbray and my son lives in London. I’ve been to Carburton - not much there nowadays, but there is/was a nice tea shop in the Old School House. Did you cycle up Winnats Pass? That’s a hell of a climb on a Brompton.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Trevor! thanks for watching! oh that sounds good, living there near Melton Mowbray. I thought it was a lovely area. No I didn't ride up Winnats! sWalked all the way from Speedwell cavern. Actually, slaved up it is probably more the word haha. Hope you get to do the ride, to see your son. I do like trips like that, going to see people. Thanks for writing!

[@oscardesideriojr9486]

new subscriber from phillipines

[@susannathornton]

Hi Oscar! Thanks for subscribing! Welcome!! more films coming soon!

[@willarn1]

Amazing

[@susannathornton]

Hi! Thanks for watching and for your nice comment!

[@KarlOnSea]

Excellent, and thank you for taking us with you! Quick question: How have you fixed the Ortlieb on the front?

[@susannathornton]

Hi KarlOnSea! thank you for the lovely comment! The Ortlieb pannier at the front is fixed on using a steel frame that my husband made. His idea was to use Ortlieb bags with our Bromptons cos the bags are so brilliant - watertight and quite light, and really strong - and cos we already had them and didn't want to buy more differnet bags. The frame clips onto the standard Brompton block, and then the Ortlieb bag hangs on the frame. So that people could copy it if they want, I show it in my film about my "Gear" which is on my channel. Here is the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3yvpGqXgJZrfbs Hope that helps (maybe). Thank you for watching!

[@KarlOnSea]

@@susannathornton hi - by happy coincidence I've just watched your gear video. Excellent bit of design. I used to have a 22 litre Ortlieb office bag (think: pilot's case, but with a roll-top closure), and I modified this to fit a standard Brompton front bag frame. I think your solution is better.

[@jeffmarlow1780]

Thanks for another great video. How did you find getting hold of enough water? Did you buy it or find places to fill up?

[@susannathornton]

Hi Jeff! About water, yes I normally stop and chat to people who are in their gardens and ask if they have an outside tap if I can have some water. Someone once said no but 99% of people are really nice and say of course and wonder if I want anything else etc. Sometimes I ask in cafes or pubs, and buy a coffee and a pastry or something at the same time, and again people are 99% really nice. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffmarlow1780]

@@susannathornton Thanks, that's really helpful.

[@petergilbert72]

Thanks for taking the time to record your trip Susanna. Is that a different tent from your trusty Akto?

[@susannathornton]

Hi Peter! Yes I used my old Terra Nova Laserlite on this trip. I bought it back in 2006 for the ride from Hong Kong to the UK. Also a nice tent. One of the differences from the Akto is that the Laserlite is trickier to pitch nicely (and quickly). As you can see I was out of practice with it and did a quite poor job pitching it the first night actually, all a bit floppy

[@petergilbert72]

@@susannathornton 😄