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| Church of St. James and St. Bartholomew | View of the Norman chancel arch by natural light | |
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| Detail of the chancel arch and column by flash | The village pump |
Arthur Mee states that the village takes its name from the fact that the River Hamp vanishes underground. South of the village is Cauldon Low. Mary Howitt used it as inspiration for her poem, The Fairies of Cauldon Low. The faries must have been disturbed in recent years by the quarrying. Walkers will be interested to know that Waterfall has a pub.
The church of St. James and St. Bartholomew does not betray great age from the outside but step inside and there is a stunning Norman chancel arch. The inner arch of the south doorway is also Norman. The 13th century chancel was mainly rebuilt in the 1890s when the south porch was added. The west tower and the nave with the arched windows date from 1792. The font, screen and communion rail date from the 17th century. Like most of the churches of the Moolands, that at Waterfall is raising money for restoration projects; there is also support from English Heritage because of the historic importance of building. The parish is now part of the United Benefice of Calton, Cauldon, Grindon, Waterfall and Blore Ray with Okeover in the Diocese of Lichfield.
Sources:
The Buildings of England, Staffordshire, by Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin, 1974, ISBN 0 14 071046 9
