Green valley with a stream and stone wall in the hills under a pale sky

Section 4 of 12

Patterdale to Shap

Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash

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GPX Plan
  • On trail 15.9 mi 25.6 km
  • Walking time 8–9 h
  • Ascent 1,140 m 3,750 ft
  • Descent 1,080 m 3,550 ft
  • Difficulty Hard

Kidsty Pike and Haweswater, then the long way down into Shap.

Section 4: Patterdale to Shap map

Two fingers to pan. Scrub the profile to follow the walk.

Example stay Kings Arms Hotel

Cross-check: Coast to Coast route description on National Trails . The walk is taken from that page, checked 12 October 2026. Miles on our line are measured between these ends on the imported path. Where a walking guide uses the same two ends, its miles are from walkcoasttocoast.co.uk, also checked 12 October 2026.

The walk

From Patterdale the path crosses Goldrill Beck, climbs to Boredale Hause and Angle Tarn, and runs above Haweswater to Kidsty Pike. It drops by Kidsty Howes to the lake at Band End, follows the western shore to the road below Burn Banks, and continues by the reservoir, Shap Abbey, and field paths to the A6 in Shap. National Trails calls this one of the most challenging sections. On our line it is 15.9 miles (25.6 km), with 1,140 m (about 3,740 ft) of climb. A walking guide measures the same two villages as 15.3 miles (24.6 km) and 1,148 m (about 3,770 ft), and grades the stage very hard.

  1. Start of section

    Patterdale

    54.5360, -2.9422 Google Maps for Patterdale (opens in a new tab)

  2. Kidsty Pike

    The path reaches the pike above Haweswater, then drops to the lake at Band End.

  3. Shap Abbey

    After the reservoir the footpath passes the abbey before the lanes into Shap.

  4. End of section

    Shap

    54.5263, -2.6750 Google Maps for Shap (opens in a new tab)

Section 4: Patterdale to Shap overview

The ground

  • Open fell, a sharp summit, a lakeside path, then fields and a minor road into Shap.

The highest fell day, then a reservoir shore. Kidsty Pike is the high point of this stretch. National Trails singles the section out as one of the hardest on the trail.

Stops

Refreshments

  • The night in Shap on the published plans is the Kings Arms Hotel. The village also has the Lakes & Dales Co-op

Toilets

  • No source used for this section names a public toilet

Before you go

Opposite direction

Shap to Patterdale

Walked the other way, you leave Shap for the abbey and Haweswater, climb Kidsty Pike, and finish down into Patterdale.

End of section

Patterdale

54.5360, -2.9422 Google Maps for Patterdale (opens in a new tab)

Patterdale to Shap FAQ

How hard is Patterdale to Shap?

National Trails calls it one of the most challenging sections. The walking guide grades the same two villages very hard: 15.3 miles (24.6 km) and 1,148 m of climb. Our line is 15.9 miles (25.6 km) and 1,140 m.

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