Religious tours of the U.K.

Spiritual journeys to the British Isles

Religious convictions and an interest in the roots of one's faith are an important part of many people's trips to Europe, whether it's a full-blown pilgrimage or merely lighting a candle and offering a prayer in each church you visit. 

The resources and books listed below can help point you in the right directions to find the best tools to make your pilgrimage (or just the religious aspects of your trip) as memorable as possible.

For lodgings in monasteries and abbeys, see this page.

Religious tours

• infohub.com - Various spriritual tours in England, Scotland, and Wales, from walking in the footsteps of the saints to exploring pre-Christian Celtic traditions and Alban mysticism.Partner
• Economytravel.com - A well-regarded budget airfare booking site that has a special section devoted to missionary and pilgrimage consolidator fares as well as a groups department adept at helping missionary groups (of 10 or more people) arrange their trips.
• Unitours.com - Specialist in Catholic pilgrimages (which, naturally, means Ireland and Northern Ireland, but not so much England or Scotland).
• Glory-tours.com - Tour company specializing in overseas religious tours and pilgrimages, including an escorted England, Scotland, and Ireland trip.
• Christian-travelers-guides.com - Website run by Irving Hexham—a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary—with a sampler of sections from his "Christian Travelers Guides" books to Italy, France, Germany, and Great Britain.
• Reformationtours.com - Christian and cultural tours of Europe and the Bible Lands, focused (as the name suggests) on Protestant sights and traditions.
• Arttoheartweb.com - Intriguing take on cultural tours in Europe's great art cities: "A new way to look at art... a new way to see God. The spiritual power of music is well known. The mission of Art to Heart is to reveal the power of visual art - to inspire us; to direct our focus heavenward; to initiate an encounter with God."

Monasteries

• Goodnightandgodbless.com - Trisha Clark, author of the Good Night and God Bless guidebooks, also runs a website with links to hundreds of monasteries and convents that take in guests—mostly in Europe (including England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland), but also in Africa, Austrlaia, Thailand, and the USA.
• Franciscans.org.uk - A half-dozen Franciscan monasteries in England offer accommodation on a donation basis (For Central London? They suggest £30 bed and breakfast.)
• Benedictines.org.uk - Ten abbeys across England, most of which have guesthouses or lodges.
• Lodging in England's Monasteries - A slightly out-of-date guidebook (last published 2009), called Lodging in England's Monasteries: Including Ireland, Scotland and Wales by Eileen Barrish. Good resource if you are serious about this.
• Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses - Another slightly out-of-date guidebook (last published 2008), Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses: A Pilgrim's Travel Guide by Kevin Wright.
• You can't beat a religious retreat - A 2007 article in The Daily Telegraph reviewing eight intriguing religious retreats and holy guest houses across the U.K.
• Thefriars.org.uk - A Carlemite Priory in Aylesford.
• Good Night & God Bless II - Yet another slightly musty guide to religious logdings. Last published in 2009: Good Night & God Bless [II]: A Guide to Convent & Monastery Accommodation in Europe - Volume Two: France, United Kingdom, and Ireland by Trisha Clark (whose website, above, is kept a bit more up-to-date)