Peak District is national park situated in Derbyshire, which is pretty much in the middle of England. As it is nearest national park to Nottingham. I’m always trying to escape there and find beautiful places to photograph. This time I decided to visit The Roaches and  Lud’s Church which is linked with many legends. Famous Roaches (or Roches) is a wind-carved outcrop of gritstone rocks straddling the parishes of Leekfrith and Heathylee in the Peak District National Park about 4 miles north of Leek, Staffordshire and 8 miles south of Buxton, Derbyshire.

Weather was beautiful and the sun up high, so I decided to visit Lud’s Church first. Although described on the map as a cave it is really a large landslip,lost among the trees of Forest Wood.

Lud’s Church is a chasm about 15m(50ft) deep and about 100m long. There are many legends linked with Lud’s Church. Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Bonny Prince Charlie are all reputed to have hidden from the authorities within the chasm.Ralph Elliott, local Luddites (known to be active in the area during the Luddite protests), and others have identified Lud’s Church as the Green Chapel of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. Another legend has it that Lud’s Church was named after a horse: supposedly, a huntsman was pursuing a deer and as he followed it on horseback he was led to the chasm. The hunter failed to see the danger but his horse, Lud, did: when the rider went too close, the horse bucked and threw him to his death in the chasm. There are also connected rumours that originate from a similar period in time, suggesting that the hunter that was killed still roams around the woods and the area. It is said that he is covered from head to toe in moss and leaves so the locals called this legendary being the green man…..

It’s great place for taking pictures  when sun is high. As it’s deep there is no direct light and in the summer, interior of chasm is bright  green.

Then it was time to go back to the Roaches. It’s stunning view from Roaches.In sunny days like this you can see far away. As I walked pass i found many beautiful spots for taking pictures. There is also small pool called Doxey Pool. And of course it has it’s legend too. :-). This shallow ,peaty pool is said to have no inlet nor outlet, and is the home of a seductive siren of a mermaid, who attracts unwise young men to a watery grave…. As I’m not unwise I survived and I safely walked past. 🙂

I finished my walk in the col between The Roaches and Hen Cloud,which stands like a miniature Rock of Gibraltar.

This is amazing piece of landscape, well worth to visit. Unfortunately I did not stay for sunset. Location is ideally orientated for it. I’ll definitely come back here , for some shots. I hope  I’ll be lucky to catch the last light shining through clouds….