Luds Church

Posted on in luds church, the roaches

For a long while now I’ve been visiting a place in the Roaches called Luds Church. From Gradbach to Luds Church is a good 15 to 20 minute walk that you would take, the only people you used to see on your way is at the old mill which is now a Youth Hostel. In winter the chasm is beautiful to the extreme with stalagmites and icicles hanging down all over and the peacefulness and tranquillity usually associated with an actual Church.

 

Luds Church was recently featured on the BBC television programme Secret Britain, as well as being published in numerous newspapers both in Staffordshire and Derbyshire. On our along the path we encountered so many people that it almost felt like a different place. A part of me felt sad for the area, knowing what the increased tourism was going to do to the paths, the Church and its surroundings. The amount of people that asked if the Church was close by, expecting an actual Church was sad to hear.

I can only hope that people are conscious of where they are and don’t trash it.

The Roaches: Lud’s Church

Posted on in outdoor, the roaches

This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be writing about how to get to and see parts of The Roaches and other Peak District places. I’ll also be making an effort to update parts of Wikipedia to reflect these changes too. Over time, paths change and the ways of getting to a lot of places change too. As I live in North Staffordshire I’m in a great location to be close to The Roaches and the Peak District and I’ll attempt to keep sites such as Wikipedia updated as well as my own collection of posts here.

To get to Lud’s Church requires a little walking up a few inclines. There is a car park around two miles from the location where you can park (located at 53.193063, -2.002955) for free. Walk out of that car park and turn right, following the narrow road. As you walk along the road, you’ll approach a fork, take the right side and walk down the hill to the Gradbach Mill Youth hostel. Once at the hostel, you’ll see the hostel on your right, a footbridge in front of you and a muddy path to the left. You need to follow the muddy path to the left which in turn curves to the left too. You will then come to a small gate, go through that gate and follow the path to the right.. Walk out of that car park and turn right, following the narrow road. As you walk along the road, you’ll approach a fork, take the right side and walk down the hill to the Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel. Once at the hostel, you’ll see the hostel on your right, a footbridge in front of you and a muddy path to the left. You need to follow the muddy path to the left which in turn curves to the left too. You will then come to a small gate, go through that gate and follow the path to the right.

Around 20m from there you will see a very, very narrow stile on your right (with a private grounds sign sitting on a gate further behind it). Go through that stile and turn left. Follow that road for around 30m. On the corner of the road, you’ll see another stile and if you look over the wall to the right you will see the footbridge that you need to cross.

Cross the footbridge and you will come to a sign post. Head straight up in hill, then follow the path that goes to the right. Stay along this path until you come to a large rock formation on your right (its a good ten minute walk). You will then see a sign for Lud’s Church to the left, follow it and within a few minutes you’ll arrive.