Never been to Lud's Church? And always wondered what is so special about it? Yes me too!

Now is your chance to find out more... So grab a cuppa and join me as I blog about my first visit to this ancient marvel of geology. Myself and my colleagues Christine and Tom (the Marketing and Communications Team) recently enjoyed a team walk here and I thought it would be good to share some highlights with you.

There are photos galore and an immersive 360 degree video, so even if you’re not up to hiking to this wonderful place, we hope you can get a sense of its unique charm and enjoy hearing all about it digitally.

With shorter daylight hours and colder, wetter and often unpredictable weather, it’s tempting not to venture out on longer walks or explore new places. But in Lud’s Church it’s always wet, so it’s somewhere you can enjoy during any season.

As we passed under birch trees we heard the chitter chatter of birds above. Eagled eyed Tom pointed out gold crests and various finches, busily flitting about the woodland canopy above. It wasn’t long before we reached a rocky outcrop (Castle Cliff) which I thought was Lud’s Church, but alas this wasn’t our destination. Still it provided another pit stop for a scramble to the top to enjoy the view and inspect the giant boulders, stacked seemingly precariously. When we eventually reached the entrance to Lud’s Church what immediately struck me was how high up we were. I always imagined it nestled deep in a wooded valley. But it’s not.

The steps down are steep but short. I was quickly enveloped within the 18 metre  walls of this ancient place. Surrounded by green and damp. The smell is forest and peat mixed, an invigorating and earthy scent. I was struck by the stillness of the place. So quiet. So peaceful. The boardwalk leads you through the chasm, with a few stepping stones to jump across. It’s tempting to step off into the wet, to see just how deep the peat is; will it go over the top of my welly?! But I resist the urge to do so! I’m told it’s over a metre deep in places. Mosses, ferns and grasses line the walls and crevices, and trees that have grown into the stone form a natural roof above us.

You could walk through in under five minutes if you really wanted, or spend a while admiring and examining the many nooks and crannies. Touching the mossy walls, and smelling them if you like! We did just that. Tom and Christine each taking photos, drinking in the details through their lenses.

You can certainly imagine this place as a hiding place, as the legends claim Robin Hood used it to evade the authorities. And of course the name; due to stories that it was used a secret place of worship by reforming Christians in the early 1400s. The Lollards, as they were named were opposed the Roman Catholic church. They were persecuted for their beliefs so this was their hidden sacred place. It is possible that it was named after Walter de Lud Auk, who was captured at Lud’s Church during one of their meetings.  

The walk back took us steadily downhill, the path emerging next to the ancient beech tree we enjoyed seeing earlier on our way to Lud’s Church. The stream here would be a good place to look for dippers, although our tummies were calling for grub, so we didn’t stop to look this time!

During our walk, we also heard the call of red grouse, and you can often spot peregrines in the area. It’s the sort of place you can visit many times and see something different each time.

While Lud’s Church was the sure highlight, the rest of the route was also really enjoyable in its own right. With a mixture of woodland tracks and various viewpoints, I will definitely be back to see it in the other seasons.

Has this made you want to visit Lud's Church? You can find out more information about it on our Roaches reserve page. If you do visit and enjoy it, feel free to share your photos with us via social media, we’d love to hear your thoughts!