A room with a pew

Written by David Fletcher 02 Jul 2020
A room with a pew

Imagine being handed a key to an ancient church that is immersed in history and having the place to yourself for a whole weekend! This experience is now open to church campers or ‘champers’. Champing is a new trend in ‘spiritual tourism’ throughout the UK, where travellers have sleepovers in archaic buildings. First launched by the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), which looks after over 300 redundant churches nationwide, it aims to offer a totally different visitor experience and also raise money to support the conservation of old places of worship. Champing churches are living time-capsules, with centuries of history to explore. Rugs are laid on stone floors and visitors sleep on mattresses. Portable lavatories and washbasins are available.

Additional Info