Shap is a town built on the A6. It is a centre of communications by road and rail. It is also on the Coast to Coast walk route and trail bike route. It is also on most LeJog and JogLe routes. I was last here on LeJog . It’s economy is based on the huge granite works and limestone quarries. The houses are well kept and the place seems to be thriving. People were very friendly.
Our walk began with a mile from the North of Shap to the Kings Arms where the C2C leaves Shap.
C2C leaves Shap. Note the angular Kidsy Pike on the profile of the distant Lakeland Fells
On leaving Shap the C2C crosses the railway and then follows a pleasant path across fields to the M6 motorway which is crossed on a footbridge.
Crossing the M6 on a footbridge
The path goes south for a while beside the motorway.
The path follows the motorway south for a while
The C2C turns east skirting a huge quarry on a good track to Oddendale which is a tiny farming hamlet hidden by trees.
Well signed to Oddendale
The track continues across the moor on springy turf which denotes we are now on limestone.
Definitely on limestone
There are signs of former occupation up here – stone circles, tumulus, Robin Hood’s Grave and a Roman road. There are huge limestone scars and the occasional granite erratic left by the ice sheet. The path is easy to follow and the only hills are to climb out of a couple of dry valleys.
It was a lovely day and all of us were enjoying the walk in the changing landscape.
It was a lovely day and all three of us were enjoying the walk
The B6260 is crossed and the route continues to the village of Orton. We skirted around Orton using a bridleway through Scarside and joined the C2C at Bland House. The path crosses several field with lots of sheep, gently ascending to Sunbiggin Farm. The path continues across the moor to Sunbiggin Tarn. Sunbiggin Tarn is at a dramatic isolated place on the moor near Crosby Garret with fine views of Great Asby Scar and the Howgills. It is an important site for its variety of wildlife and plant life and is a designated SSSI This area of low moorland is a magnet for migrating birds but also has resident mallard, teal, wigeon, pintail, golden-eye, moorhen and snipe.
Sunbiggin Tarn – isolated on the low moor and a haven for waterfowl
The limestone ends at the road next to Sunbiggin Tarn and the ground at once was wet, muddy and boggy. The route continues for a couple of miles across open moor. We descended to our overnight accommodation at Brownber Hall near Newbiggin on Lune.
Journeys end, Brownber Hall near Newbiggin on Lune
23.6 km with 471m of elevation.
The GPX file for the route that we followed is here.
Old Bat On A Bike. 