Champing: Taking Camping Inside Holy Walls

First there was camping. Then there was glamping. Now, welcome champing, or in other words, spending the night in a historic and no-longer-functional church. This new travel trend is spreading far and wide across the United Kingdom as ancient houses of God are opening their heavenly doors to overnighters.

The UK is home to 347 churches all part of the Churches Conservation Trust. As such, the buildings are no longer used for their original purpose of worship and prayer. Currently, three of these churches are available to reserve for overnight stays. The two-day stays feature complete and total access to the church’s interior and exterior grounds.

During the daytime, guests can explore the areas that surround the church. As night falls, enjoy the tranquility and peace the church provides while you admire the various styles of architecture above you. When morning comes, wake up to sun rays that pierce through the colorful stained-glass windows and revel in this truly unique experience only a few people in the world get to see.

Champing is currently only catching on in the United Kingdom, but pending its success, you may be able to catch a few winks within the halls of some of the world’s most beautiful and prestigious houses of worship. Amen!