Sanctuary: Low-cost places to sleep, recharge and meet the community

The British Pilgrimage Trust Sanctuary Project for community-led, low-cost pilgrimage accommodation

Over the last five years, our Sanctuary project has grown a national network of community-run, low-cost overnight stays that support churches and make pilgrimage open to all pilgrims.

What Sanctuary means and why it matters

“Sanctuary” is our name for warm, practical hospitality offered by churches, village halls, and community buildings to people walking pilgrim routes across Britain.

These places provide simple, safe, and affordable overnight stays – often with basic facilities and a welcoming local host. The scheme intentionally keeps costs low so that multi-day walking journeys are accessible to all pilgrims. There are 50+ Sanctuaries currently listed on this website.

Five years of progress in the Sanctuary Project

• Making stays affordable: Sanctuaries typically ask for a small contribution rather than a commercial rate, on average around £15 per night.
• Opening routes and reviving places: Sanctuaries are now featured across several of our routes and have helped revitalise local walking networks and guided pilgrimages celebrated in national media.
• Supporting communities: Modest donations from pilgrims contribute directly to the upkeep of rural churches and village halls, turning occasional visitors into vital income for local custodians.
• Access for all: Since 2022, we’ve made key online guidance and Sanctuary listings freely available so that more people can plan their journeys without barriers.

How Sanctuary helps our charitable mission

As a charity, the British Pilgrimage Trust’s aim is to advance pilgrimage as a form of cultural heritage that promotes holistic wellbeing and connection.
The Sanctuary scheme is a direct expression of that mission: it removes barriers to participation, creates social contact between visitors and communities, and keeps historic buildings alive, used, and loved.

Real stories of impact

Pilgrims tell us that sleeping in a church, sharing a meal, and setting off again at dawn transforms a night's sleep into something more. Parishes that host Sanctuaries report new friendships, helpful funds, and a renewed sense of purpose that keeps community buildings open and welcoming for everyone. St Mary's, Apuldram, and St Mary's, Patrixbourne, have been able to unlock funding by including Sanctuary as part of their business case. They now have improved facilities for all the community to use, such as a hall extension, toilets and kitchen facilities.

Quick impact highlights

• £15 average nightly donation: keeping pilgrimage affordable.
• Growing national reach: Sanctuaries now feature along many British routes.
• Community resilience: income from Sanctuaries helps protect local heritage sites.
• National recognition: our Sanctuary walks have featured in major media, showing the growing interest in pilgrimage.

Milestones and where we’ve focused our energy

In recent years, we’ve concentrated on expanding Sanctuary listings, improving route resources, developing our Giving Pilgrim programme, and delivering guided pilgrimages that demonstrate Sanctuary hospitality in action.

This work is part of a broader effort to ensure pilgrimage remains inclusive, sustainable, and accessible for generations to come.

We also celebrate the people who make it all possible; the volunteer hosts, clergy, wardens, and communities who open their doors to pilgrims. In 2024, as we marked ten years of the Trust’s work, we recognised Sanctuary as one of the most powerful ways we bring our charitable aims to life.

How you can support the Sanctuary project

1. Give and keep Sanctuary open and free

Your donation funds website development, safeguarding guidance, volunteer support, and the small administrative costs that make Sanctuary listings safe and reliable.

Every gift, large or small, helps us keep pilgrimage accessible. Help us keep Sanctuary free for venues to list and free to pilgrims to access. Donate now

2. Become a Giving Pilgrim

Giving Pilgrims help sustain the balance between open access and the needs of our hosts. In return, Giving Pilgrims receive a range of additional benefits, all while directly supporting the Sanctuary network. Join now

3. Offer Sanctuary

If you represent a church, parish hall, or community space and would like to welcome pilgrims, we’ll help you every step of the way – from safeguarding guidance to a simple facilities checklist. Sanctuaries need only provide basic accommodation and a warm welcome. Find out more.

How to find Sanctuary accommodation

1. Visit the British Pilgrimage Trust map here
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2. Click on the Places button
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3. Click on Sanctuary under the Places by Type filter
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4. Move the map around to an area that interests you — the list on the left will update to reflect Sanctuaries in that area
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5. Click the button "Turn on nearby routes" on the map to update the list on the left, and the map, to reflect both Sanctuaries and nearby routes.
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6. Additionally, on any route you're interested in, you'll see "Nearby Sanctuaries" listed on the route detail page.
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7. Read more about how to use our map here