Location and Access

Bothy Location:  Click here for Google Maps
PLEASE NOTE:  The official postcode is CA10 3QW,
Google Maps
 postcode location is correct,
but some SatNav devices show incorrect location for this postcode.

The bothy is located at 1400 feet, beside the main A6 trunk road,
9 miles north of Kendal and
5 miles south of Shap village,
on the main John o’Groats to Land’s End Route

Nearest motorway junction: Junction 39, on the M6 Motorway.
Nearest Railway Stations:
     Oxenholme or Penrith (Main Line)
Kendal or Windermere (Branch Lines)
Nearest Shop:             Shap Co-op
Nearest Takeaway:   Shap Chip Shop
Nearest pubs:              Shap Village
Nearest Restaurants:
Kendal. (Indian, Italian, French., Chinese, Thai, etc.)
Nearest Hospital: (Minor injuries:) Kendal (25 minutes)
Nearest Hospital: (A & E)  Barrow in Furness (1 hour)

Car Parking: There is limited temporary parking in the small yard by the bothy, which is normally reserved for unloading and for service vehicles. Main parking is about 100 yards away, in two very large lay-bys.

Access: There are footpaths, cycleways and bridleways within 200 yards, giving access to public access land at Upper and Lower Birkbeck Common. This common is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) on account of the diversity of flowers and wildlife. The moorland behind the bothy is very extensive, and it is possible to walk for about 9 miles without meeting any road or track. Footpaths are few and far between, and the going is hard due to extensive tussocks and bogs.  A map and compass, together with suitable clothing and footwear, is essential for serious walking on the common. An experienced walking guide is available by arrangement.

Google Map: (Live below) The Google maps location is correct, but some SatNav devices will take you to a farm about 10 miles away by road, and SatNav should NOT be used to navigate to the bothy.