Claiming Sanctuary
Sanctuary for Wayfarers
It is a very ancient tradition in the British Isles for holy places in the landscape to be sought by Wayfarers seeking shelter.
The tradition of welcoming strangers is hard-coded into many faiths. This is especially true of Christianity, a fact which which makes the widespread network of UK churches an exciting resource for Wayfarers seeking shelter (regardless of spiritual orientation).
In the Middle Ages, the tradition of Sanctuary was written into Law, and went far beyond the provision of shelter, allowing even convicted criminals to evade capture. Many a tale is told of desperate criminals who beat the Law to reach the safety of a Church.
These days this legal protection has long disappeared, but it still remains possible to sleep in and around Britain’s churches. The Church in England, Scotland and Wales is ‘Established’, meaning it is part of the structure of HM Government, meaning the Church is technically ‘ours’. It belongs to you and I.
So you should feel a basic right to claim respectful Sanctuary in and around churches. When I created the British Pilgrimage Trust, this was one of the ideas I conceived and worked on. So many churches sit empty, and are vulnerable to theft. Allowing a Wayfarer or pilgrim to sleep in/around an empty church can reduce the security risk. Along the Old Way route (pre-Covid) I arranged for 10+ churches to allow pilgrim shelter. The post-Covid landscape remains to be seen.
To sleep inside a Medieval church is a wonderful treat. Usually, churches are locked at night. But not always. It’s always worth trying the door.
In general, to sleep inside a church you need to telephone or email ahead to ask the vicar or churchwarden directly for permission. You can find contact details on the Find A Church website. Or the A Church Near You website. When you call, be clear that you have all sleeping kit required, and you don’t need anything more than permission to be there. And remind them that you will act as security all night to keep the roof lead safe. Be sure to tell them you are a Pilgrim. This is the password that makes it easier for a church to consider your stay as ‘ancilliary worship’ - vital for insurance purposes - rather than their trying to justify repurposing their building as a secular campsite. Insurance companies exert a lot of control over churches, so you need to help the church play the game.
However, asking permission is often a way for churches to say no. Churches without a tap and loo will usually refuse Sanctuary, for understandable reasons. Or churches with priceless art, or intolerant neighbours, might take the safe course and refuse permission.
So you may prefer to claim Sanctuary without asking first, and simply find a corner of the churchyard and lay low. Arrive late and rise early, and leave no trace. This method prevents worrying anyone with requests for permission (of course, don’t do this if you already asked and they said no!). The disadvantage of this is that it doesn’t build up a momentum of people asking, which may eventually be met.
With or without human permission, if you are going to claim sanctuary it is crucial to ask the place itself - and to take seriously the response you get. Before you settle, circumambulate the building or space (walk around it clockwise) to let it know you’re there. Then sit a while in silence, and try to feel with your body where you are. Listen to sounds around you. Birds in many traditions are seen as spiritual messengers. Try to interpret the feeling of their songs as offering welcome/unwelcome. Your sensitivity to such things will soon increase. Most places, in my experience, are pleased to be asked, and welcome a sleeping human as much as they would any other animal. But not everywhere. You’ll soon feel that tingle of unwelcome, and more fool you if you persist in such a case.
The same goes for choosing exactly where to sleep. In a church, you may wish to avoid sleeping directly on top of a tomb. However, the whole church is basically a large ancient tomb, filled with thousands of years of local ancestors. That is partly why they are such good places to sleep - you encounter the lineage of people in the local landscape in a very deep way. What dreams may come as you rest in peace! I am convinced that such sleep benefits your meetings in person with living locals the next day. You’ve already made friends with their great-great-grandparents.
One of the safest places to sleep in a churchyard, energetically, is beside the East Wall. This is nearest to the altar, and I like to imagine a church like a bar magnet, and the pattern of iron-filings as the safe spots around it. But that’s just me. Feel your own way.
If you can sleep inside, churches almost always have plugs for the hoovers, so be sure to recharge your devices and external batteries. There is usually a tap to be found in the churchyard somewhere too. In terms of using the loo, it’s best to leave the premises and find somewhere off-site. If there’s one thing that might cause emotional upset in a churchyard, it’s people using it as a toilet.
Churches also usually have a porch. Sometimes these are locked shut, but often they remain open, and many have no doors at all. You can pre-plan this by looking online for images of the church. Church porches make excellent stone hotels. Look out for light sensors that will come on when you move. A hiking sock can usually fit over the sensor to ensure undisturbed sleep. If you are challenged by an early-rising parishioner, be sure to respond with gentle righteousness. Remember, the password is ‘Pilgrim’. And whatever your spiritual outlook, adopting a vague Christian persona can be helpful. Offering a ‘God Bless You’ never goes astray.
Two Bible verses offer the appropriate kung-fu for claiming Sanctuary. It may be worth learning them. The first is generic but strong: “Come, you that are are weary and heavily burdened, and take rest in me” (Matt 11:28). The second seems designed for porch sleeping: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalms 8:10). (This would however be an excellent name for a campsite: The Tents of the Wicked).
Sleep neatly, without spreading too much untidiness about, so if someone arrive before you wake, it won’t look like you have moved in. Set an alarm to rise before visitors. Pack up swiftly, and clear away all marks of your presence. Leave the place better than you found it. Try to sign the guestbook, and offer a song of thanks. Prayer is often seen as the preserve of religion, but asking the Universe to bless whoever works in a place is not aligned to a particular faith, any more than making a wish when you blow out a birthday candle. So wish places well, and leave them echoing with your good intentions.
You may also wish to make a donation to the church before leaving. I like to leave coins in the shape of the Pisces fish. An individual church is not funded by the organised Church, but the other way around. Each tiny church must pay many thousands of pounds to be part of the organisation. And they must also fund their own repairs. So chip in and help out. Many of our little churches are only just hanging on…
Non-Church Sanctuary
It is not only at churches that Wayfarers can claim Sanctuary. Any holy place, whether an ancient tree or holy well, a stone circle or ruined chapel, might offer a night of basic Sanctuary.
With all holy sites, whether church or prehistoric, be incredibly careful not to cause any damage. This is why I recommend a bivy & tarp over a tent, as a bivy allows low-profile dry sleep without needing pegs in the ground. If a place is of archaeological significance, it’s best not to poke the ground with 6” metal spikes.
Also, feel your way carefully when choosing your actual sleep-spot. The wrong choice can be a harrowing experience! For example, don’t sleep in the end chamber of a long barrow. This is (imo) the initiation space, and will not offer restful slumber. Take a side-chamber instead, where you’ll wake well rested.
Practice the same precautions for non-churches as for churches. Circumambulate. Offer a gift - song or silence - and feel your way carefully. Rise early, keep neat, and leave the place better than you found it.
Rest well, Wayfarers!
