Coast to Coast-TRANS PENNINE – Southport – Hornsea

I am cycling this route this year and aware of their website which claims the route is clearly signed all the way etc. Just wanted some general advice from anyone who has done it
– how clear is the signing etc do i need the three books?
– any food shops near the route- especially supermarket health food (both of us are vegans)
-any pubs near the route obvious reason
-camping on the route safe /easy etc
-anything to do near route – day trip etc diversions worth doing

not rushing it 5 days ish for 220 ish miles as away from family for the duration.
Ta

Unicorn in Chorlton are quite close to the TPT and vegan and do nice food. The signing around Manchester can be quite various I would get the Sustrans guide as the maps have cafes and pubs marked.

The route from southport is quite good as far as warrington, then after warrington youre in trafford where there are some signs but the route does go a bit wild, lots of detours as the route is not all on the old railway line, all major junctions are traffic light controlled, so you can cross, fantastic looking bridge over 13 lanes of the m60 at the trafford centre,you also go through 2 sewage works, havent done the bit after manchester as yet, but a nice ride.
Buty the maps off sustrans or try
transpenninetrail.org.uk theres a dedicated site to the route.

Did it a couple of years ago as a 3 dayer. Stockport is a nightmare, as with all sustrans routes the signage goes to pot in the built up urban areas. Stayed the first night (before I got going) at a campsite in Ainsdale, a surprisingly nice area, first night proper I stayed at a mates house in Glossop, second night spent in yorkshire in a pub garden which I can’t remember the name of.
It’s a pretty decent route but once you get past Doncaster it gets pretty dull as it is all flat and if there’s a headwind it is a bit soul desroying/character building. Fit slime tubes and puncture resistant tyres as you will need them, the residents of Kingston on Hell and Merseyside seem to use the cycle paths as the glass recycling facility. I used my kona sutra fitted with cross tyres for the trip, the surfaces range from tarmac to bridleway/dirt track/decommisioned railways.
The sustrans route maps are ok up to a point, they change orientation to best fit on the paper and if you are slightly off-route then you will most likely be off the map.
Having said all that I would probably do it again.