The Charm Of Champing
FINDING a room with a view is one of the beauties of spending a night away. But now, more and more holidaymakers are enjoying a room with a pew!
Forget glamping – “champing” is the hot new trend, bedding down in a historic place of worship.
As well as savouring the nocturnal experience, guests are helping preserve the future of some of the nation’s historic churches.
As many of the buildings are in beauty spots, they get the scenic wonders as well as spiritual sanctity.
While it has taken off and become a thriving business, Chana James, from the Churches Conservation Trust, says it really all started by happy accident.
“The idea came back in 2012 when a Scout group contacted me about cleaning a church as a project,” Chana says.
“They wanted to camp in the yard, and when I was talking to Chief Executive
Peter Aiers, he said camping in churches could become a thing.
“He came up with the ‘champing’ name, and we started to think it might actually be something we could do with our churches.”
The Trust looks after 356 historic churches at risk, and is the third-largest heritage estate in charitable ownership in the UK, behind the National Trust and English Heritage.
“They are churches which are consecrated but have fallen out of use because they no longer have a congregation and the parish can’t support them,” Chana explains.
“Because they are so historically important, they can’t be developed or sold on, so the Church of England gives them to us to look after.”
Most are Grade I and II listed, but many could have been lost had it not been for the Trust’s multi-millionpound restoration and renovation efforts.
To raise funds, the first champing church, All Saints, on the outskirts of the village of Aldwincle in Northamptonshire, opened its doors in 2015.
The cavernous mediaeval interior and elegant square tower were a hit, and since then champing has grown hugely, with the twentieth site being added for 2020.
Guests get the exclusive use of their chosen church each night, meaning each party has its own private historic dwelling.
Beds, chairs, a loo and tea- and coffee-making facilities are provided, as are lanterns and safe, battery-operated candles.
Children and pets are welcome, and there is no requirement to be religious.
Since it began, the Trust has noticed devoted champers returning time and again to check out different churches, and bookings have come from as far away as America.
Chana can totally understand the appeal.
“I’ve done it several times with my kids and groups of friends,” she says.
“It’s atmospheric with the candles. It’s not spooky, just cosy and tranquil.”
While Chana says they’d love to have more churches in Scotland involved, there is currently only one champing property north of the border. But it is a real beauty.
St Peter’s sits on the windswept west coast of Orkney, and is looked after by the CCT’S sister organisation, the Scottish Redundant Churches Trust.
Built in 1836, it eventually fell into disuse and the Trust stepped in back in 1998, raising £250,000 to save it from dereliction.
Its first champing season was in 2017 and, although spectacularly remote, overnight guests could enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Skara Brae Neolithic World Heritage Site further along the beach.
“We are keen to have more churches involved and to expand locations,” Chana says.
“Many are in lovely rural areas and there’s a real feeling of getting away from modern life in this centuries-old building.
“It’s a great bonding experience and a lovely thing to bring families together.” ■
Bill Gibb discovers the growing trend for sleeping under the roofs of the UK’S most beautiful churches.
Churches Conservation Trust, Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL Tel: 0207 841 0436 More information can be found at champing.co.uk.