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Welcome to
The Market Cross

Welcome to The Market Cross

Home of Shap Local History Society

Market Cross

The Heritage Centre at The Market Cross, Shap
will be open on the following days in 2024

Sunday 24th March – 10am to 4pm – Model Exhibition

Saturday 27th April – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 25th May – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 22nd June – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 27th July – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 24th August – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 28th September – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 26th October – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 23rd November – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

Saturday 21st December – 10am to  12pm – Village Market

We do hope to be able to open on other days where possible. If you would like to access our archive for research, please contact us

Shap Local History Society was founded in March 2001, with the aim of collecting together and recording the vast amount of archive material relating to the parish – documents, maps, will, photographs, oral and family histories.  The Society also has a monthly programme of talks from January to May, and in September and October.  An annual social evening is held in November.  In June and July there are outings to places of local historical interest – these have included walks round Shap, other villages such as Keld, Askham, Orton and Clifton and visits to Shap Abbey, Appleby Castle and the Mayor’s Parlour at Kendal amongst many others.

In 2002 Eden District Council leased the Market Cross building in the Main Street, Shap (formerly the library) to the Parish Council, who agreed to share the building with the Society as a Heritage Centre. A grant from the Lottery Awards for All enabled the purchase of a computer and digital recording equipment.

In 2006 a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled the Society to purchase the freehold of the building, which the Parish Council continue to share. The computer equipment was upgraded and internet access for family history research was provided.

The Heritage Centre is open on Thursday afternoons during the summer, and on Shap Farmer’s Market days (the fourth Saturday in the month) and at other times by personal request.

The current exhibition has displays which reflect the wide range of archives held, in the past exhibitions have featured Shap in Victorian Times, Shap at Work and Leisure, the Railway through Shap, the most popular have been Mardale in 2004 and Mardale Homesteads in 2010.

The Society became registered as a Charity (number 1117146) in 2006.

Books for sale

Mardale book

Mardale

Echoes and Reflections of a lost Lakeland community

£14.00 + P&P

The Shap Fell Story

£6.00 + P&P

Shap Abbey Guide Book

Shap Abbey Guide Book

£2.50 + P&P

The Market Cross

Why not join Shap Local History Society – we are a small and friendly society based in a village with an amazingly long history. From vast megalithic stone monuments to a medieval abbey, ancient trackways to the main-line railway over Shap Fell, there is plenty to discover and enjoy.

The society holds monthly meetings where invited speakers give fascinating talks on local subjects or we arrange visits to historic venues in the area.

Events

March 25th

Jan Hicks

Iron Age Britons at High Carlingill

May 27th

Alan McViety

High Sheriff of Cumbria 2022

September 21st

Maurice Steele

Audio Presentation

Followed by Afternoon tea

November 25th

Susan Millard

Winter Meeting

Fruit cup & mince pies

Books for sale

Mardale book

Mardale

Echoes and Reflections of a lost Lakeland community

£14.00 + P&P

The Shap Fell Story

“The road with most stories to tell”

£6.00 + P&P

Shap Abbey Guide Book

Shap Abbey Guide

The guide book to Shap Abbey

£2.50 + P&P

Are you able to make a donation – however small – to help Shap Local History Society continue their invaluable work

Are you able to make a donation – however small – to help Shap Local History Society continue their invaluable work