Shap Rural is a very large, but sparsely populated, civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria in England, covering part of the Lake District National Park.

The village of Mardale Green, which disappeared when Haweswater was converted into a reservoir in the 1930s, was in the parish.

Major landowners in the parish are the Lowther Family Estates and United Utilities.

Shapbeck Limestone quarry owned by Hanson plc is in the northern part of the parish though the Hardendale Corus limestone quarry and works and the famous Cemex (formerly RMC) Shap Granite quarries and works are within both Shap Rural and Shap parishes.

The cottage owned by Uncle Monty in the cult 1986 film Withnail & I is located by the reservoir at Wet Sleddale.