Deep in the Peak District lies an enchanting area known as Luds Church. A mossy covered chasm, that transports you from reality to a world of wonder.

Through the Fairy Portal we go.

Though muddy in places the cold, damp walls are whimsical and invoke childlike wonder when walking through. Can you imagine the history this place has??

Lud’s Church has a renowned place in history and legend. It starts in the early 1400s and the chasm is said to have been used as a secret place of worship for Lollards, (unsure if this is actually true or not), reforming Christians who were opposed to many practices of the Roman Catholic church and who were persecuted for their beliefs. It is assumed that the ‘Lud’ of the title came from Walter de Lud Auk, who was captured at Lud’s Church during one of their meetings.

For at least a century a wooden ship’s figurehead stood in a high niche within Lud’s Church. I would of loved to have seen that. It was placed there by the previous landowner in the mid 1800s, it was known as ‘Lady Lud’ and was reportedly placed there in memory of Alice, the daughter of Walter de Lud Auk. Tales say her ghost still haunts the ravine, and to be honest it’s certainly not hard to conjure up images of apparitions here.

Long before the arrival of the Lollards, it is likely that Lud’s Church would have been a place of pagan worship. Sunlight really only penetrates to the depths of the chasm during the height of summer, and it is quite possible that it was the site of Midsummer ceremonies. Indeed, it is still possible to see occasional offerings hidden on the natural shelves and within the dark, overgrown crevices.

Lud’s Church is one of the most likely contenders for the location of the Green Chapel, a key setting in the medieval poem and well known Arthurian story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Over the centuries it has also been associated with tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, possibly as a place of refuge and hiding from his enemies.

Whatever your beliefs, it remains that Lud’s Church is a fascinating place to explore, well worth the trip into the woods.