The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, parts of which date back to the 1100s, stopped holding regular services 30 years ago. Now, overnight visitors can book the space for a unique sleepover experience.
Photo: Feargus O’Sullivan/Bloomberg CityLab
What to Do With a Closed Church? Try ‘Champing.’
As their congregations dwindle, underutilized places of worship in the UK are finding new uses, hosting overnight visitors for “church camping.”
Waking up in the dark, I suddenly realized that the practice of sleeping overnight in a 900-year-old church, alone but for a friend and a skittish dog, was made for people with stronger nerves.
To reach the toilet, I was obliged to navigate the church’s long nave, picking my way up the aisle of the rib-vaulted space as the beams of my hand lantern made crazy shapes around columns and stone effigies. While my friend snored heavily, the sounds of something stirring out in the grave-studded churchyard spooked my corgi, Boo, who followed at my heels making soft, keening whistles of fear. Two thoughts struck me: Does Boo sense something lurking out there that I can’t? And: How did I end up wandering barefoot through a live-action Scooby-Doo episode?