Its an old favourite and I’ve probably posted this walk many times. See here But for newer readers it’s always nice to show again. As it’s beauty is everlasting.

Lud’s Church is a deep, moss-covered gritstone chasm in Staffordshire’s Peak District formed by a giant landslip, steeped in centuries of religious history, outlaws, and Arthurian legend.

Formation and Physical Setting
Created by a massive natural landslip in the gritstone hillside.
Measures roughly 100 meters long and 18 meters deep.
Features cool, damp, and deeply shadowed stone walls covered in thick green moss.
Secret Lollard Worship
Used in the early 15th century as a hidden place of worship by the Lollards.
Lollards were early followers of religious reformer John Wycliffe who faced violent persecution from the Catholic Church for rejecting many of its practices.
Named after Walter de Lud-Auk (or Ludank), a Lollard leader or follower who was reportedly captured during a raid on one of these secret meetings.
Folklore also tells of his granddaughter Alice, whose ghost is said to still haunt the damp ravine.
Myths and Legends
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Scholars believe the eerie, green-hued chasm inspired the mysterious “Green Chapel” from the famous 14th-century Arthurian poem.
Robin Hood: Local legend claims that Robin Hood and Friar Tuck used the remote gorge as a safe passage from authorities.
Traffords Leap: Named after a local squire, Trafford, who allegedly leaped his horse across the terrifying chasm while hunting, though his hounds tragically fell.

As we exit Luds Church we walk along The Roaches ridge for a while until we descend from The Hanging Stone.

The Hanging Stone – a gritstone rock outcrop on Back Forest Ridge on the western side of the Peak District, just to the north of The Roaches.  It overlooks Swythamley Hall, which was the home of the Brocklehurst family who owned the Roaches Estate until the death of the last in line in 1978.

Charity link Here

As far as I as know, there haven’t been any hangings that took place there, so the rock probably took its name from the fact that the upper layers of rock overhang slightly, or maybe from the old-english word ‘hangra’, meaning ‘a wood on a steep hill-side’.  It certainly is on a steep hillside which may have once been wooded. But who really knows? It’s definitely intriguing.

Being the only such stone in the immediate area, it really stands out on your approach from lower ground.  The Hanging Stone is also interesting because it bears two inscriptions.  One about a dog,  and the other in memory of Lt Col Courtney Brocklehurst – the man responsible for the presence of wallabies on the Roaches.

The inscription about the dog is professionally carved into the rock and says:

“Beneath this Rock
August 1st 1874
was buried BURKE
a noble mastiff black and tan
faithful as woman
braver than man
a gun and a ramble
his hearts desire
with the friend of his life
the Swythamley squire”

Even they thought so highly of mans vest friend, their doggie

There is a plaque in memory of Lt Col Henry Courtney-Brocklehurst.  It is becoming rather weathered and is difficult to read, so i had to Google it to find out exactly what it says.

LT COL HENRY COURTNEY BROCKLEHURST 10TH ROYAL HUSSARS AND PILOT IN THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS 1916-1918 GAME WARDEN OF THE SUDAN. BORN AT SWYTHAMLEY MAY 27TH 1888 KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN BURMA ON COMMANDO JUNE 1942

“Horses he loved and laughter, the sun, with spaces and the open air. The trust of all dumb living things he won and never knew the luck too good to share. His were the simple heart and open hand and honest faults he never strove to hide. Problems of life he could not understand but as a man would wish to die, he died. Now though he will not ride with us again, his merry spirit seems our comrade yet, Freed from the power of weariness and pain, forbidding us to mourn or to forget….”

Erected by his devoted brother 1949

Its such a popular photograph area, but we were lucky to have it alone, and its where we drank our coffee to warm ourselves up, as its exposed up there the winds can blow a hoolie!!