22/12/2023
It’s Fridaaayyy!! Grab a cuppa, sit back, and enjoy a glimpse of St Mary’s in Edlesborough. “Where?” “Near Dunstable, locally known as the Church on The Hill, with nearby Whipsnade Zoo with great walks over Dunstable Downs, and all The Chilterns National Landscape on your church doorstep to enjoy,” “How can I book?” https://champing.co.uk/church/edlesborough-buckinghamshire-st-marys-church/
We love a good honest review, and couldn’t wait to share this one with you! To be fair, we do get asked a lot about taking videos of Champing stays, which is usually a “no” or if the video might be something that gives you all a better idea of what Champing is all about, then then usually it’s a “yes”! Carolyn, a talented musician and vlogger of all things she gets up to, kindly put together a short video and wrote us some feedback after her solo stay:
“What an adventure I had at St. Mary's in Edlesborough! Looking for a last minute accommodation for one night during my trip to London in October, I came across Champing. As I was looking for exciting places to sleep at which would serve as great content for my YouTube channel, sleeping in a church seemed like the perfect thing to do. After having read on the website that no filming is allowed other than for private purposes, I contacted Fiona from the Champing team and was over the moon when she kindly allowed me to film my stay for YouTube. She also booked me in right away and was very kind, giving me loads of helpful tips.
Due to trouble with public transport, I arrived in the dark, so sadly, I didn't get to see St.Mary's in daylight, as I had to leave very early in the morning. But I was equipped with all the information I needed from Fiona and safely found everything- keys, toilet, etc... The first thing I did, though, was walk around and turn on all the fairy lights and LED candles... I then inspected the sitting and sleeping areas. Despite being in a church on my own in what felt like the middle of nowhere (sorry, Edlesborough :-)...), it did feel so homely. Both chairs in the sitting area had blankets and hot water bottles and there were mugs with tea, coffee and hot chocolate (including a kettle in another corner where there was a socket). Water was available from a water cooler. There were some games and also folders with information about the area.
The beds, of which I only needed one, were set up just in front of the altar. It did feel slightly strange at first. But I settled in and filled up all four hot water bottles to heat up the bed. I then went to test out the toilet (a camping toilet, of which I barely noticed the difference to our toilet at home) and on the way back finally noticed the light switches... I hadn't realised there were any at first, but it was exciting to be able to see St.Mary's in its full beauty, which is why I would recommend making sure you either arrive or leave in daylight. If you ask me- make sure you have daylight when you get there, so it will be easier to find your way around. And depending on how long you are staying and what your plans are, maybe check out swimming pools in the area in case you fancy a shower. This was important for me, as I was travelling a lot all week.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Champing- it was a wonderful adventure and I will surely be coming again- next time with family or friends- and possibly my dog as they actually allow dogs at most of the churches. Oh yes- and I will make sure to arrive in daylight :-)...
I think Champing is a great way of getting around and I hope my YouTube video that I will be releasing about my stay (probably in spring, so it's nearer the time they reopen) will support them and bring a few more guests to their churches.
Happy Champing :-)!”
Ahhh, thank you Carolyn for all your support, it really is appreciated, and we can’t wait to see your video in the spring time! Here’s a link to Carolyn’s channel https://www.youtube.com/ to see what else she gets up to!