I was guessing the start is at The Corbet Arms in Upton Magna?
Just down the road in the Village Hall.
I showed interest but I am still investigating the financial consequences. How much are nights at the hotel at the start?
Free camp bed accommodation in the hall (bring a sleeping bag), or camping outside. For more luxury the cheapest option is likely to be the Travelodge
www.travelodge.co.uk at Shrewsbury Battlefield (about 4 miles) away. Look out for cheap deals and you can get rooms for as little as £9. Plenty of accommodation around. See
www.visitshrewsbury.com for options.
I was thinking of a ferry, but the Eurostar is waaay cheaper, and I should be able to get from Enschede, NL to Shrewsbury in a day. Now only what do the Eurostar people think of a 2m long recumbent... I guess I have to make some calls for that.
Bikes in UK trains are free as long as you make a reservation, from what I understood, is that correct?
Yes, don't think anyone charges any more. But you may well have problems getting your bike on the train. Very few train companies will take tandems and your recumbent will be about the same length as our tandem. Virgin Trains will get you from London Euston to Wolverhampton - their trains have reasonable space and take tandems AIUI so you should be OK (Virgin INSIST on reservations - you won't get on the train without one). Local train to Shrewsbury definitely won't have space so you'll have to get the last 20 miles or so on your own.
Hopefully Wrexham & Shropshire will be taking bikes by then which will give you a direct train from London Marylebone to Shrewsbury with a full luggage van and a walk-on anytime fare of £40 which is somewhat cheaper than Virgin.
Or you can try plugging on here for a lift. Plenty of the above from the South East of the country...
