This lonely spot of grazed land next to the River Lowther is the site of the last abbey to be founded in England, in 1119, and the last to be dissolved, in 1540.
The Premonstratensians who floated about in billowing white robes might be pleased to see that the striking west tower still stands after 500 years, somehow surviving the pillaging of stone for Shap Market Hall and Lowther Castle, itself now a dramatic ruin.
Of further intrigue are nearby Neolithic remains, including the pink-granite Thunder and Goggleby stones and the Hill of Skulls burial mound; see if you can trace Shap’s 1½ mile-long stone avenue starting at Kemp Howe stone circle, now cut in half by the West Coast Main Line railway.
See more of Secret Britain
Kingley Vale, West Sussex: The ancient, twisted yews that are the oldest living things in Britain
Today's Secret Britain spot is a mysterious and magical spot in West Sussex.
Pont Minllyn, Gwynedd: The ancient pack-horse crossing that's four centuries old
A bridge coming up for four centuries old is today's Secret Britain find.
Mynydd Carningli, Pembrokeshire: The ancient volcano in the shape of a reclining woman
The peak of this remote mountain in West Wales is the next spot to make our Secret Britain list.
