The Roaches and Lud's Church - Staffordshire

START/FINISH:    Roach Road         Grid Ref:  SK 00140 62325
DISTANCE:          7 Miles
MAP:                     OS Explorer  OL24  The Peak District - White Peaks

Today we decided to head into Staffordshire for a circular walk of the Roaches and Lud's Church.  We arrived at about 8.30am and parked on the Roach Road just up from Hen Cloud.  There where no more than about half a dozen cars already parked so we didn't have any problems finding a space.  Once we'd got ourselves sorted with rucksacks etc. we headed through the gate from the Roach Road onto the path leading to Rock Hall a small stone built building partially built into the rock.  The 'hall' has served various purposes over the years and is now owned by the BMC for climbers to stay in.

The Path leading to Rock Hall

Rock Hall

Passing Rock Hall we continued up the path leading to steps that led us up through the crags towards the Ridge.

Looking back from the ridge towards Hens Cloud

Once on the ridge we headed North towards the Roaches Summit gaining height and enjoying the improving views as we went.  Before long we reached Doxey Pool although, on this occasion, the mythical mermaid was not present to lure us to a watery grave!!

Doxey Pool

From Doxey Pool the path passes large boulders of weathered grit stone and affords some nice views before eventually leading to the Roaches trig point.  At this point we had grey clouds following us and drops of rain here and there so we pushed on trying to out walk the weather.

We continued heading North towards Roach End and the path that would take us into Gradbach Wood on our way to Lud's Church.

From the Trig point we started to drop down into Roach End where we crossed Roach Road and went over the narrowest stile I have ever seen built into a stone wall.  This one definitely called for some breathing in and tightening of the stomach!!  On the other side of the wall was a path that drops into Gradbach Wood.  The first part of the path through the wood is downhill and made up of uneven rocks which I imagine would be quite slippery on a wet day.  The path continues only a short distance before coming to a junction.  We headed left into Back Wood and on towards Lud's Church.

The path into Gradbach Wood

Lud's Church is a chasm created by a landslip in the grit stone hillside.  It is thought to have been considered a sacred place by early Pagans and is supposed to have been a secret place of worship for the Lollards followers of John Wycliffe an early church reformer during the early 15th Century.  It's very name is said derive from Walter de Ludark who was arrested here and whose Grand Daughter was killed during the raid. Her ghost is said to haunt Luds Church to this day.

I have to admit that the place certainly does have a strange atmosphere to it.  The acoustics here are weird in that every sound, regardless of source or distance, can be heard without absolute clarity and at the same volume.  I could hear a group of walkers that we passed on the way to the entrance just as clearly and at the same volume as a group stood just around a corner only a few feet away from us.  The songs from birds in the trees overhead sounded as if they where directly at our sides.  The whole experience was rather 'strange' not in a scary or foreboding sense but certainly 'atmospheric'.

Underfoot the ground is quite wet and muddy and the damp dank walls of the chasm are covered in mosses, lichens and ferns producing a collage of varying shades of green.  I would imagine that the chasm rarely gets full sunlight and what does filter down is further fragmented by the trees above which lean over the edge creating sporadic shafts of light.

The entrance to Luds Church

Coming out of Luds Church we continued along the path through Back Wood until we came to an outcrop of rock where we stopped for lunch - actually it was only 10.45 so I guess it would be classed as 'brunch'.

After being refueled we continued along the path out of Gradbach heading Westwards in the direction of Danebridge which leads to the Western edge of the Roaches escarpment and gives good views over the Cheshire plain.

At the next junction we turned left and started climbing again passing above High Forest Farm before dropping down to Roach End where we joined the road once more and headed back towards the car.

We passed this jovial looking lady on the way back to the car who seemed to be out walking her two wooden rabbits.  I said hello but got no reply just a cheery wave - you do meet some eccentric people whilst out on your travels.

On returning to the car the only thing left to do was to visit the Roaches Tea rooms for tea and cake.  A quaint little place with dinky porcelain tea cups, paper doilies, spectacular views and spectacular prices to match.