Lovely trail. Most challenging part was scramble up/down right at the beginning/ finish. Parking could be an issue, so arrive early. Lud's Church feels like another world – absolutely mesmerizing!
Although the Lud's Church walk should take around 3 hours, you should allow some extra time. I ended up spending quite a bit of time at chasm and taking pictures of the lovely views which added an extra hour onto our walk and I only just made it back before dark.
Luds church is VERY muddy when wet, there are boardwalks, but these sink and are slippery. Some of the boardwalks around the area get slippery too. 4 hours is about right from the roaches main carpark, across the top, down through the woods and backup via Luds church.
Lud's Church isn't immensely challenging and so even those with minimum fitness should be able to enjoy. It is not however possible to access for those with pushchairs, wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Small and active children should be able to cope but there are some drops so extreme caution should be taken.
THE ROACHES + LUDS CHURCH - Peak District Solo Hike
How big is Luds Church?
Over 100 metres (328 ft) long and 18 metres (59 ft) deep, all but the upper third of the slope has slipped forward towards the River Dane. It is mossy and overgrown, wet and cool even on the hottest of days.
Lud's Church, Staffordshire. A deep, moss-covered chasm within the Peak District, Lud's Church is an enchanting film and TV location that looks like it belongs to a different planet! Find Lud's Church & more on our Locations Directory via the link in bio 🔗
There is a small free car park in Gradbach which is the best place to park for the Lud's Church walk. This can be accessed on the A53 road from Buxton and following signs towards Flash and Gradbach. The Roaches Car Park Postcode is Gradbach, SK17 0SU.
Placed there by the former landowner in the mid 1800s, it was known as 'Lady Lud' and was reportedly placed there in memory of Alice, the daughter of Walter de Lud Auk. It is said that her ghost still haunts the ravine, and it's certainly not hard to conjure up images of apparitions here.
The stunning gritstone ridge known as The Roaches rises up from moorland close to Leek in the Staffordshire Peak District. At its highest point the ridge reaches 505m (1,657 feet) and provides spectacular views over Staffordshire, Cheshire and even into Lancashire and Wales.
The Lollards also used Luds Church as a safe and secret hiding place. Luds Church may have been named after Walter de Ludank or Walter de Lud-Auk who was captured here at one of their meetings.
Gradbach Mill is a stunning building set amongst 16 acres of land, steeped in history dating back to the silk spinning days of the late 1700's. It was acquired by Newcastle under Lyme College in 2013, and transformed into an outdoor adventure centre.
The most common free parking is on the roadside along the narrow Roach Road, which runs right below the main ridge. There are numerous small lay-bys and wide verges where you can pull in. These spots are free but limited, and fill up quickly on weekends and holidays. Postcode to aim for: ST13 8UA (Upper Hulme village).
After 2nd gate turn left onto wide track and down to another gate. Straight on after gate signposted to Gradbach and Lud's Church. At the junction of several paths by a rocky outcrop, it's worth making a short detour here to Lud's Church so take the right fork which is signposted to Lud's Church.
To get to the Roaches take the A53 road from Leek, Staffordshire towards Buxton. After about 4 miles and about half a mile past the Three Horseshoes Hotel take a left turn signposted Upper Hulme. After a hundred metres take the left fork. Follow this road for about one and a half miles.
Series 5, Episodes 12 and 13 - "The Diamond of the Day": In the very last episodes of the Merlin TV series, there are scenes featuring Morgana and Mordred that were filmed in Puzzlewood.
Wells Cathedral is a unique and stunning location for film-makers and photographers, appearing in television dramas, documentaries and even Hollywood films. The Chained Library, historic Vicars' Close, Cathedral Nave and impressive Chapter House and its steps prove to be particularly popular film locations.
Is The Roaches a hard walk? The Roaches walk covers a distance of 6.6km (4.1 mi) and generally takes around 1.5-2 hours. While it involves passing through major points such as Hen Cloud, it does require some elevation, but it should be suitable for those familiar with moderate walks.
The views across Tittesworth Reservoir are outstanding and very atmospheric. On clear days you can even see as far as Cheshire and Mount Snowdon in Wales.
Lud's Church is a deep ravine in Black Forest, located in Dark Peak in Derbyshire that is said to have witnessed the secret meetings of the Lollards, a persecuted religious group of the 15th century. Today it provides an atmospheric walk, engulfed by the cool greenery of the surrounding woods.
These include area, volume, length, width, height, or capacity. Several churches individually claim to be "the largest church", which may be due to any one of these criteria. St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is the largest church in the world.
