Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Lud's Church
In or near Quarnford.
Lud's Church — deep chasm on the hillside above Gradbach, Staffordshire, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–8 h
- Best time of year
- Late spring – early autumn (May–Oct)
- Nearest railway station
- Hunthouse Wood · 7.2 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Lud's Church, the nearest railway station is Hunthouse Wood, which is 7.2 km away. Entry is free, but please note that the site is not wheelchair accessible. The postcode for sat-nav is SK11 0BH.
About
Lud's Church is a named summit in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "deep chasm on the hillside above Gradbach, Staffordshire, England". Coordinates: 53.1878°, -2.0206°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Leek Moors SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Lud's Church (sometimes written as Ludchurch) is a deep chasm penetrating the Millstone Grit bedrock created by a massive landslip on the hillside above Gradbach, Staffordshire, England. It is located in a wood known as Back Forest, in the Dark Peak, towards the southwest fringe of the Peak District National Park about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of the A53 between Leek and Buxton. 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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The area has a place in Christian history: the Lollards, who were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer, are supposed to have used this as a secret place of worship during the early 15th century, when they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Lud's Church may have been named after Walter de Ludank or Walter de Lud-Auk who was captured here at one of their meetings. A number of climbing routes up the sides of the chasm were pioneered during the 20th century, but climbing is now discouraged to protect the lower plants that have colonised the damp rockfaces.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 53.1878, -2.0206
- District
- Cheshire East
- Parish
- Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough
- Postcode
- SK11 0BH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Macclesfield
- Nearest railway station
- Hunthouse Wood — 7.2 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q6698667 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Lud's Church (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Lud's Church 2016-06-05.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Back Forest Edge
Climbing & bouldering crags · 0.4 km
The Farmhouse
Hostels · 0.8 km
The Cottage
Hostels · 0.8 km
Gradbach Scout Camp
Campsites · 0.8 km
Gradbach Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Gradbach Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Swythamley Hall
Historic houses · 1.8 km
The Roaches
Mountains & hills · 2.2 km
Dane Bridge
Historic bridges · 2.2 km
Allgreave Bridge
Historic bridges · 2.3 km
Birchenough Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.4 km
Birchenough Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.4 km
Nearby
📷 5Climbing & bouldering crags · West Midlands
Back Forest Edge
Back Forest Edge — a climbing crag in england west midlands.
📷 5📷 5📷 5Campsites · West Midlands
Gradbach Scout Camp
Gradbach Scout Camp — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Gradbach Hill
Gradbach Hill — a hill or mountain in england west midlands.
📷 5Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Gradbach Hill
Gradbach Hill — mountain in england west midlands. Elevation: 399 m.
Where to eat & stay near Lud's Church
Places to stay
📷 5📷 5📷 5Campsites · West Midlands
Gradbach Scout Camp
Gradbach Scout Camp — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5Caravan parks · West Midlands
Lapwing Hall Farm
Lapwing Hall Farm — a caravan park in england west midlands.
📷 5Hostels · East Midlands
Roaches Bunkhouse
Roaches Bunkhouse — a hostel in england east midlands.
📷 5Campsites · East Midlands
Camping at The Hollies
Camping at The Hollies — a campsite in england east midlands.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · West Midlands
Ye Olde Rock Inn
Ye Olde Rock Inn in England West Midlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · East Midlands
Cat and Fiddle Inn
Cat and Fiddle Inn in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 5Restaurants · West Midlands
Sutton Hall
Sutton Hall — a restaurant in england west midlands.
📷 7Historic pubs · West Midlands
Green Dragon, Leek
Green Dragon, Leek in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · West Midlands
Bird In Hand Public House
Bird In Hand Public House in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · West Midlands
The Quiet Woman Public House
The Quiet Woman Public House in England North West, United Kingdom.
More mountains in this region
📷 5Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Stile Cop
Stile Cop — mountain in england east midlands. Elevation: 219 m.
📷 5Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Rawnsley Hill
Rawnsley Hill — mountain in england east midlands. Elevation: 237 m.
📷 5Mountains & hills · West Midlands
Hound Hill
Hound Hill — mountain in england east midlands. Elevation: 98 m.
📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is Lud's Church?
- Lud's Church is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode SK11 0BH), in the parish of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough.
- What is Lud's Church?
- Lud's Church — deep chasm on the hillside above Gradbach, Staffordshire, England.
- How do I get to Lud's Church?
- The nearest railway station is Hunthouse Wood, about 7.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode SK11 0BH.
- Is Lud's Church a protected site?
- Yes — Lud's Church is part of the Leek Moors SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Lud's Church free to visit?
- Yes, Lud's Church is free to enter.
- How do I get to Lud's Church?
- The nearest railway station is Hunthouse Wood, about 7.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SK11 0BH.