Champing: Watlington church opens doors to paying holiday guests

A church has opened its doors to paying holiday guests to help raise funds.

St Leonard's in Watlington, Oxfordshire, is the first in the county to take part in the so-called champing scheme.

Guests book online for overnight stays in a number of historical church buildings in England and Wales.

Vicar Rev Daniel Thompson said guests were "just buzzing" after their stay at the Church of England site, which partly dates back to medieval times.

The Churches Conservation Trust-run scheme allows participating churches to offer overnight stays.

Rev Thompson said the church was attracted by the "fun and interesting" method of fundraising and had since been "inundated" with enquiries.

"It's been quite amazing, we had no idea what to expect," he said.

He said the first guests were a couple from the US who described their stay as "absolutely perfect".

The church provides beds, access to kitchen and toilet facilities, as well as tourist information about the local area.

"It blew me away how lovely it was - the idea of a family using our church as part of their holiday spending their time together," the vicar added.

"It ticks so many boxes from a Christian perspective about hospitality, allowing people time for rest and fun. This is really good Christian outreach."

The trust began facilitating champing through its booking website in 2015.

Adult guests currently pay £49 per night to stay in participating church buildings.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240.