Throughout the Peak District are dozens of beautiful places to explore, from tiny villages to breathtaking caves. It’s also where you’ll find a magical gorge walk, which has been dubbed the UK’s own “Jurassic Park”.
Lud’s Church is an 18-metre deep chasm located in the Staffordshire Peak District, just over an hour's drive from Manchester. With green, moss-covered walls and trees towering overhead, it feels like a place you’d find in the jungle - not hidden deep in the English countryside.
It’s no surprise then that the walk has gone viral on Tiktok, with videos tagging Lud’s Church amassing more than 90 million views on the social media platform. Tiktok user heykeyt wrote: “If you wanna feel like you’ve escaped into a Jurassic Park-like world you must visit the Lud’s Church in the Peak District.”
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The dramatic landscape of Lud’s Church was formed due to a giant landslip which happened thousands of years ago. Although the chasm only stretches on for around 100m, there’s so much to explore as you wander through it.
Part of the magic of Lud’s Church is that you could easily miss it if you didn’t know it was there. It’s hidden beneath the tree canopy with just a few signs pointing to its location.
As you descend down into the chasm you’ll notice that the air is a lot cooler than it is above ground, adding to the mystical atmosphere. The route between the rugged stone walls twists and turns so you can never be sure what’s around each corner.
Lud’s Church isn’t just a stunning natural wonder, it’s also a place rich in history and myth. In the 15th century it was used as a secret place of worship by the Lollards, who were followers of the early church reformer and so-called ‘heretic’ John Wycliffe.
According to legend Lud’s Church was reputedly used as a hiding place by Robin Hood and Friar Tuck when they were evading the authorities. There’s one myth which says that Lud’s Church was created by the devil’s finger nail as he scraped back parts of the earth.
To reach Lud’s Church you can follow a walking route from Gradbach car park, which takes around 30 minutes. Be prepared that the gorge is often muddy so ensure you’ve got appropriate footwear, and be aware that there are also a few steps to climb.
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