Magical North Staffordshire route named in UK's top 10 most scenic walks to explore this autumn

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Summer now seems a distant memory as the temperatures drop and the nights start to draw in. The good thing about the season is that it is the perfect time to go for a stroll in the countryside.

The crisp leaves and fresh air make it even better to go on one but there are some places better than others to go for a hike in the UK. And we're incredibly lucky here in Stoke-on-Trent to have the Peak District - the UK's first national park - right on our doorstep.

With this in mind, leading operator of holiday parks Parkdean Resorts has revealed some of the most popular scenic walking locations across the UK for those who are keen to step outside into nature over the next few months. It has filtered the most liked videos on the social media platform TikTok for the search term ‘autumn walks uk’ to determine the results. The data is accurate as of September 17 2024.

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And three Peak District-based walks have made the top 10 - including one in Staffordshire. The eerie Lud's Church - a deep chasm cutting through bedrock near Gradbach - has been likened to something straight out of Jurassic Park.

The gorge is over 100 metres long and 18 metres deep and all but the upper third of the slope has slipped forward towards the River Dane. And with its enchanting moss-covered sides and winding pathway it's little wonder this gem has gathered so much attention.

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.”

It is located in a wood known as Back Forest, in the Dark Peak, which is towards the southwest fringe of the Peak District National Park between Leek and Buxton. As previously reported by StokeonTrentLive the site is named as it was used as a place of worship in the 15th century by Lollard Christians fleeing persecution.

It is also rumoured to be the possible inspiration for the fictional Green Chapel in the poem Sir Gawain and the Greene Knight, as the dialect of Middle English the poem is written it suggests it was written around Staffordshire. Match this with the description in the poem and Lud's Church makes sense - though this would be impossible to confirm.

Entrance to the spooky Lud's church where the Ward of Flash abandoned his journey home to seek shelter
Entrance to the spooky Lud's church where the Ward of Flash abandoned his journey home to seek shelter

For those fancying a trip to Lud's Church they can find a car park at Gradbach and anyone going should dress suitably for some muddy conditions with sturdy footwear.

The top 10 walking destinations across the UK:

1. Scottish Highlands, Scotland - 1.5 million likes

2. Castle Combe, Cotswolds - 830k likes

3. Regents Park, London - 525k likes

4. Dunkeld, Scotland - 258k likes

5. Winnats Pass, Peak District - 212k likes

6. Cragside, Northumberland - 220k likes

7. Mam Tor - Peak District - 212k likes

8. Hafren Forest, Powys, - 135k likes

9. Lud's Church, Peak District - 131k likes

10. Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor - 95k likes

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