Shap — Mediated Wiki

{{short description|Village and civil parish in Cumbria, England}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox UK place | type = Village and parish | country = England | static_image_name = Shap - Market Cross.jpg | static_image_caption = Shap Market Cross | coordinates = {{coord|54.529|-2.676|display=inline,title}} | official_name = Shap | population = 1,264 | population_ref = ''(2011)''<ref name=census2011/> | civil_parish = Shap | unitary_england = [[Westmorland and Furness]] | lieutenancy_england = Cumbria | region = North West England | constituency_westminster = [[Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Westmorland and Lonsdale]] | post_town = PENRITH | postcode_district = CA10 | postcode_area = CA | dial_code = 01931 | os_grid_reference = NY563150 | pushpin_map = United Kingdom Eden | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the former [[Eden District]], [[Cumbria]] | label_position = }}{{More sources|date=November 2024}} '''Shap''' is a [[village]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] located among [[fell]]s and isolated [[Valley|dales]] in [[Westmorland and Furness]], [[Cumbria]], England. The village is in the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Westmorland]]. The parish had a population of 1,221 in 2001,<ref>{{NOMIS2001|id=16UF059|title=Shap Parish|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> increasing slightly to 1,264 at the 2011 Census.<ref name=census2011>{{NOMIS2011|id=E04002568|title=Shap Parish|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref>

==Location== The village lies along the [[A6 road (Great Britain)|A6 road]] and the [[West Coast Main Line]], and is near to the [[M6 motorway]]. It is situated {{convert|10|mi|0}} from [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]] and about {{convert|15|mi|0}} from [[Kendal]].

Shap is on the route of the [[Coast to Coast Walk]].

==Toponymy== Early (12th and 13th century) forms such as ''Hep'' and ''Yheppe'' point to an [[Old Norse]] rendering ''Hjáp'' of an [[Old English language|Old English]] original ''Hēap'' = "heap" (of stones), probably referring to an ancient [[stone circle]], [[cairn]] or to the [[Shap Stone Avenue]] just to the west of the village.<ref name="Whaley">{{Cite book|last=Whaley|first=Diana|title=A dictionary of Lake District place-names|location=Nottingham|publisher=English Place-Name Society|year=2006|pages=lx,423 p.305|isbn=0904889726}}</ref>

==History== {{Unsourced-section|date=November 2024}} Although Shap is a small village in terms of population, it is legally a [[market town]] with a charter dating from the 17th century. The parish was administered between 1905 and 1935 by an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] council. At one time, the granite works situated a mile outside the village was a separate community, with its own [[Co-op UK|Co-op]] store. Shap polished pink granite can be found in many buildings in the UK, including outside [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in London.

==Climate== Shap has a [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: [[Oceanic climate|Cfb]]), like the vast majority of the British Isles.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

At an elevation of {{cvt|255|m}}, Shap is notably cooler as well as wetter than surrounding lowland areas, and considerably wetter than lowland [[Southern England]], as it is exposed to the prevailing west-southwesterlies enhanced by [[orographic lift]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK |first=Met Office |title=Northwest England & IOM Climate summary |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/weather/regional-climates/north-west-england--isle-of-man_-climate-met-office.pdf}}</ref>{{Weather box |location = Shap, Elevation: {{convert|255|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |width = auto | Jan high C = 5.7 | Feb high C = 6.2 | Mar high C = 8.2 | Apr high C = 11.1 | May high C = 14.2 | Jun high C = 16.7 | Jul high C = 18.4 | Aug high C = 17.9 | Sep high C = 15.6 | Oct high C = 12.1 | Nov high C = 8.5 | Dec high C = 6.2 |year high C = 11.8

|source = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcwn4cte6 | title = Shap Climate | accessdate = 8 April 2024 |publisher = [[Met Office]]}}</ref> }}

== Today== [[File:St Michaels Church, Shap with Swindale - geograph.org.uk - 551119.jpg|thumb|right|St. Michael's Church]] The library which, in 2014, was in the process of being relinquished from local council control and being adopted by the community as part of a budget cutting measure. As of 2025, it is operated as "Shap Library Link" by the local council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/find-library-near-you/shap-library-link|title=Shap Library Link|accessdate=19 November 2025|website=Westmorland and Furness Council}}</ref>

On 3 November 2025, a Glasgow to London [[Avanti West Coast]] train with 86 passengers and five crew [[2025 Shap derailment|derailed]] near the village due to a landslide. There were four minor injuries.<ref>{{cite news |title=Passengers evacuated in major incident after train derailment at Shap in Cumbria |url=https://www.itv.com/news/border/2025-11-03/ambulances-sent-to-scene-of-train-derailment-in-cumbria |work=itvX |date=3 November 2025 |access-date=3 November 2025 }}</ref>

==Attractions== [[File:Shap Summit Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 964500.jpg|thumb|right|Shap Summit on the A6 road]] [[Shap Summit]] is located on the motorway at {{gbmappingsmall|NY583120}} and the railway at {{gbmappingsmall|NY570110}}. Before the M6 opened, Shap Fell used to be notorious for the difficult and dangerous stretch of A6 for drivers, and it includes a well-known section of the West Coast Main Line. It has a 1:75 gradient for trains heading north, and in the days of steam locomotives banking engines from Tebay were often used to assist trains. It has been popular with railway photographers and there have been many pictures published taken in the area, most notably at [[Scout Green]] which lies on the southern approach to the hill.

Shap Fell {{gbmappingsmall|NY530088}} is known for Shap [[granite]],<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.es.ucl.ac.uk/schools/Glossary/granite.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050301034002/http://www.es.ucl.ac.uk/schools/Glossary/granite.htm|archivedate=1 March 2005 |title = Granite|website=Geology in the landscape and buildings of London|publisher=University College London Department of Earth Sciences}}</ref> a pink rock rich in [[orthoclase]], [[quartz]] and [[biotite]]; Shap Pink Quarry {{gbmappingsmall|NY557083}} takes its name from this.

[[Shap Abbey]] {{gbmappingsmall|NY547151}} is nearby in the secluded valley of the river Lowther. Now impressive ruins dating from 1199, the Abbey was one of the last abbeys to be dissolved by [[Henry VIII]] in 1540.

Shap Wells has a [[mineral spa]] located in the grounds of the Shap Wells hotel which was used in [[World War II]] as a [[List of POW camps in Britain|prisoner of war camp]].

==In literature== In [[M. W. Craven]]'s novels, Shap Wells hotel is often used as a hub for the stories since one of the main characters, Washington Poe, lives nearby.<ref>{{cite web |title=Television adaptation of Carlisle author’s latest book coming to major streaming site |url=https://www.itv.com/news/border/2023-01-11/carlisle-crime-fiction-authors-book-to-be-brought-to-life-on-the-small-screen |website=www.itv.com |publisher=[[ITVX]] |access-date=31 July 2025|date=11 January 2023}}</ref>

==Governance== The [[civil parish]] of Shap (formerly Shap Urban Parish) includes the hamlet of [[Keld, Cumbria|Keld]] and parts of the granite works and limestone works. In 2001 it had a population of 1,221,<ref>[http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=8&containerAreaId=790349 Office for National Statistics : ''Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Eden''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009005239/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=8&containerAreaId=790349 |date=9 October 2014 }} Retrieved 21 November 2009</ref> increasing to 1,264 at the 2011 Census. The parish shares a joint parish council with [[Shap Rural]], which surrounds Shap parish making it an [[Enclave and exclave|enclave]] of Shap Rural.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.walkingclub.org.uk/admin/westmorland-and-furness/shap-rural-parish.html|title=Shap Rural parish map|website=Saturday Walking Club}}</ref> The total population of the since abolished Shap electoral ward taken at the 2011 census was 1,394.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/shap-e05003231#sthash.ZHAKRXxx.dpbs|title=Ward population 2011|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|url=https://shapcumbria.wordpress.com/parish-council/|title= Shap Parish Council|date= 7 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://councilportal.cumbria.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?ID=555&LS=1|title= councilportal.cumbria.gov.uk - Shap Parish Council|date= 30 November 2022}}</ref>

Shap is in the [[United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|parliamentary constituency]] of [[Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Westmorland and Lonsdale]].

For [[local government in England|local government]] purposes the village is in [[Westmorland and Furness]]. Until 2023 it was in the Shap Ward of [[Eden District|Eden District Council]] and the Eden Lakes Division of [[Cumbria County Council]].

==Transport== [[File:Trains at Shap Summit - August 2016 (1), geograph, The Carslisle Kid, 5079071.jpg|thumb|right|Train at Shap Summit – August 2016]]

=== Train === The [[Lancaster and Carlisle Railway]] (now part of the [[West Coast Main Line]]), opened on 17 December 1846, and runs along the eastern edge of the village. [[Shap Summit]] is the highest point on the West Coast Mainline in England, topped only by [[Beattock Summit]] in Scotland. [[Shap railway station|Shap station]] was closed in 1968, though there have been calls for its re-opening.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plea to reopen Shap and Tebay rail stations |url=http://www.cwherald.com/a/archive/plea-to-reopen-shap-and-tebay-rail-stations.397646.html |access-date=2018-06-22 |work=Cumberland & Westmorland Herald |date=2012-09-21}}</ref> [[Penrith railway station|Penrith]] is now the closest station and is situated on the West Coast Main Line. Penrith has train services to [[Glasgow]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Manchester]], [[Birmingham]] and [[London]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Live departures from Penrith {{!}} National Rail |url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/live-trains/departures/penrith-north-lakes/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.nationalrail.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

=== Bus === Shap is the terminus of [[Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire|Stagecoach]] Bus Route 106 from [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]] via [[Lowther Castle]].{{cn|date=April 2026}}

==Notable people== * [[Charles Richardson (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Charles Richardson]] (1769-1850), Royal Navy officer was born in the village

==See also== {{Portal|Cumbria}} *[[Listed buildings in Shap]]

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Shap}} *[http://www.cumbriacountyhistory.org.uk/township/shap Cumbria County History Trust: Shap] (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page) * [http://www.shapcumbria.co.uk Shap Community Website] – maintained by the Parish Council * [http://www.gravestonepix.com/contents1a/2009/10/shap-air-crash-anniversary/ Shap Air Crash Anniversary] * [http://www.gravestonepix.com/contents1a/2009/10/rail-workers-monument-shap/ Rail Worker's Monument, Shap] {{NSEW|[[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]]|[[Kendal]]|[[Maulds Meaburn]]|[[Haweswater Reservoir|Haweswater]]|||||}}

[[Category:Shap| ]] [[Category:Villages in Cumbria]] [[Category:Westmorland]] [[Category:Civil parishes in Cumbria]] [[Category:Westmorland and Furness]] [[Category:Subnational enclaves and exclaves in the United Kingdom]]