A stunning Peak District hike taking in both the incredible viewpoint and rock formations of the Roaches and the surreal scenery of Lud’s Church. Here’s how this one went.
The Roaches and Lud’s Church Hike Summary
| Hike date | 4th July 2025 |
| Weather conditions | Sunny, warm and windy |
| Distance hiked | 12.6km |
| Walking time | 3.5 hours |
| Elevation gain total | 430m |
| Terrain | A scrambly short ascent onto the roaches, easy to follow footpaths, some scrambling, woodland paths |
| Rating out of 10 | 7 |
Lud’s Church and the Roaches Walking Route
Mine came in a little higher in practice than the distance estimated here but not too much longer.
I parked in a lay-by on Roach Road. The What3Words location for my spot was ///tuxedos.teaspoons.regretted
From here, there’s a short ascent up to the Roaches and I took a direct route which required a little scrambling albeit with a route very easily identifiable.
The views once you reach the top are delightful:
The rock formations along the top and the views to together to make this a really lovely Peak District hike.
There are so many different rock formations and edges along this route.
Soon enough, you’ll reach the trig point for the Roaches which is another lovely view point:
You can easily follow the path from here as it descends gradually towards woodland. The woodland itself leading towards Lud’s Church is beautiful:
The Roaches and Lud’s Church is incredibly well signposted throughout. Beautiful footpaths gradually lead towards steps down to the beautiful Lud’s Church.
Lud’s Church is a woodland chasm which looks almost magical. It looks a little like it was built in CGI. Just absolutely beautiful.
It’s a fairly short section of the walk, this one, but absolutely beautiful. On a weekend it can be really busy but it was fairly quiet when I visited on a term time Friday.
From out the other side of Lud’s Church you pick up a path back towards the Roaches. Before you get there though, you’ll veer off back towards Roach Road, which you’ll follow back towards your car.
I can also highly recommend the Roaches Tearoom for a coffee and cake after your hike!
How is this hike?
This is a really lovely hike. On a clear day you’ll get amazing Peak District views. Despite the fact that it is only early July, the heather long the tops is already purple.
The mixed landscapes (that combination of Lud’s Church, the woodlands, the moors and the rugged edges along the Roaches) makes this a really interesting route as well.
Would I do it again?
Yes. And I probably will. This is a lovely Peak District hike!
