Before I went to Thailand (a time when coronavirus was something that affected others in a far off land), my two good friends Andy Cox and Brendan Clayton went on a sort of farewell hike, not knowing that they’d see each other in little over four months. They visited Lud’s Church in the Staffordshire Peak District, and their photos made me jealous. Fast forward ten months and I had a chance to visit for myself and in true David/T.W.A.T.S. fashion, I ballsed it up…
15th November, 2020.
Hannah Done and I intended to park at Gradbach Car Park (https://goo.gl/maps/RkqygLpzy3jDT3gJ6). However, this is a fairly small car park and when we got there, it was full. One thing I don’t envy about people who work normal weekday jobs is this: everywhere is busy on a weekend… We had to drive back up the road and found a space near this pretty cottage.
So yeah, if you’re visiting on a weekend, don’t bother with the car park. Accept you’re gonna have to walk a little further and park on the road.
53°11’40.0″N 1°59’39.6″W
We walked back to the car park and continued along the path heading west. There are signs that direct you to Lud’s Church.
We met a very depressed looking horse. It didn’t react to our strokes at all. Somebody later told me that the “sad look” is what you want in a horse, cos it means they’re not a demon in disguise. At the time it looked like somebody had just told him/her their parents had been made into a lasagne. I felt like I was being dragged down into a state of mutual despair. So I hurried Hannah on.
The trail takes you past Gradbach Scout Camp and down to the Black Brook near it’s junction with the River Dane. You can choose to either cross the bridge or scale the ford. We chose the ford.
Remarkably, neither of us ended up wet.
Opposite the ford is a sign.
We turned right and headed up the hill.
It’s only a 10 or so minute walk to the first bit of rock formation.
All I could think was… “I’m sure this looked bigger in Brendan’s photos…”
Here’s the balls up. I thought this was Lud’s Church I figured this rock formation was so named cos it vaguely resembled a church. This is not Lud’s Church. This tiny canyon. You can’t really call it a canyon – it’s more of a crevice. Out here in the Peaks there is no 4G so I couldn’t even check.
Hannah and I climbed up the rocks to sit at the top. We broke out some alcohol and admired the autumnal view.
We walked back down the hill and took a short detour to watch the River Dane tumble by.
I find this very cathartic and thankfully so did Hannah. I could sit here for hours listening to the babbling water. All you need is a brew and a book. We stayed here a bit longer than we should have cos soon it started getting dark.
It was a lovely afternoon out tbh. But when I got home and had access to internet again, I noticed the error of my ways. Well done David. You’ve made yourself look a right tit.
20th November 2020.
Time to put things right.
Sadly the weather wasn’t so pleasant on this day.
There was a constant drizzle all day and mist clung onto the woods. I went to the boot of my car to grab my raincoat and found it wasn’t there. UNBELIEVABLE. I usually have TWO bloody raincoats in my car for emergencies and here I was without even a spare hoody. All I had on was my Man City top and a running jacket. I put on my Snowdon hat and just went with the flow.
As this day was a miserable, drizzly Friday, there was space at Gradbach Car Park. I followed the same route as last time, though I thought it best to cross the bridge at Black Brook rather than the ford.
Back up at the rocks we reached last time, I noticed the absolutely obvious and not at all hidden sign, pointing the way to Lud’s Church.
Seriously, how had I missed this?
About three minutes along this route you come across a sudden crack in the rocks to your right.
THIS is the top entrance to Lud’s Church.
The Lud’s Church canyon was created by a massive landslip on the hillside above. It’s so named because proto-protestant Christians supposedly used this site as a secret place of worship in the 15th Century.
I had it all to myself. It was kinda eerie inside. On a summers day you’ll find that it’s wet and cool inside Lud’s Church. On a day like today when it’s already wet and cool, I found it just a tad warmer inside.
It’s also incredibly quiet. You’d expect a canyon to be echo-y, but the moss on the walls absorbs sound.
At some points the ground is VERY muddy. Definitely not suitable for Converse. It’s muddier than you think. My foot sank a little further than I’d have liked in this.
Walking from the top you eventually come to a fork in the road. It reminded me of The Pits level from Crash Bandicoot 2 (if you know, you know, and we can be friends).
I chose the narrower left fork.
It gets pretty narrow. Definitely not recommended for Americans. You guys should go right.
The left fork brought me back to the top. The woods had turned very moody
Job done. I had righted my wrong to bring you factual content. It was time to take my soaked arse back to the car… but that little fire inside had been lit by the gloom. Call me weird, but I found it so enticing. I directed my legs into the spooky woods.
I was heading towards The Roaches, a rocky ridge that on a sunny day provides some pretty beautiful views over Staffordshire. Perhaps the mist and rain would clear up by the time I got there?
I exited the treeline near The Roaches School.
Where I saw some pigs.
Can you IMAGINE that that ghostly building was your school? Out here in the middle of nowhere? What a dream.
I reached an alternate place to park your car:
53°10’38.9″N 2°00’27.2″W
Pretty sure this is where Brendan and Andy parked for their visit to Lud’s Church.
Across the road was the beginning of The Roaches main path.
I wasn’t feeling it. There wasn’t much of a view to behold. I’ll leave the Roaches for another time…
Sooooo I turned back on myself and headed back into the woods, following the signposts for Danebridge. This path runs parallel to the trail I’d just walked on, but it’s further down the hillside and thus misses out Lud’s Church. It eventually brings you to the ford at Black Brook.
Which, in these rainy conditions, looked a little more foreboding. I tried out some of those rocks and they were indeed pretty slippy. I didn’t chance it. I used the bridge again.
This second walk took me just under two hours, and I wasn’t rushing. There are some inclines but they are not at all difficult. I definitely recommend visiting Lud’s Church – I would love to see it in the summer in all its fine greenery.
Just make sure when you go to visit Lud’s Church, you actually visit Lud’s Church. And not just some rocks.
#VidOnTour 
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