Village 'near the end of the A6' has top chippy, red squirrels and amazing spring festival

Far away at the other end of the A6, miles and miles from the constant thundering stream of Stockport traffic clattering through Levenshulme, Longsight and Hazel Grove, there’s an oasis, all the way up in the Lakes.

That this stretch of road stretches so far north is remarkable in itself, but keep following it, past Lancaster and Kendal and eventually, you’ll get to a place with an award-winning chippy, that’s teeming with local wildlife, and even has its own spring festival, Lancs Live reports.

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The picturesque village of Shap is getting ready for the first ever Shap Outdoor Festival, which is launching at its farmer’s market this weekend, and will run for a whole month.

Tucked into the Lowther Valley, criss-crossed with fantastic walking and cycling routes and on the cusp of the Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales National Parks, it’s a rare spot, with plenty going on over the next few weeks.

The festival, embracing all that the local outdoors has to offer, will start on April 22, with the farmer’s market at the quaint Old Courthouse, now a community hub and art gallery. The area’s abundant and diverse wildlife will be a central part of the month-long festival.

There will be organised walks to see one of the country’s few remaining red squirrel colonies, a dawn chorus walk with the RSPB and a bats ‘walk and talk’, and other sessions taking in mindfulness and meditation and even the sky at night, with a team from Lancaster University running a stargazing event on May 18.

You’ll even be able to go badger watching at various days throughout the month at nearby Haweswater. And that’s all without mentioning the town’s renowned chip shop.

The Shap Chippy has