You havent half picked oneof the most complex areas of UK airspace. As already said I would route wide and a moving map GPS with your planned route loaded would be very helpful in terms of staying out of trouble
If you havent already got it get your hands on a trial copy of Skydemon or other similar flight planning software. You can then plot all the various suggestions and review the horizontal and vertical navigation challenges.
I know someone who is selling a Garmin 296 + Flitestar VFR for £500. I can put you in touch if you're interested.