Meet Tewkesbury Abbey’s welcomer dogs

At Tewkesbury Abbey, visitors are greeted not just by the historic building but by two friendly black Labradors named Eric and Florence.

Eric, aged 10, and Florence, aged 9, work as welcomers at the Abbey. They work there regularly, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and two Sundays a month.

They began when Chris Skepper, the Head Verger, faced a predicament: should he leave Eric and Florence home alone all day?

In October 2023, Chris’ wife and daughter went away from home for an extended period of time, leaving him alone with the two dogs. He decided to seek permission from the then Head Verger, Mark Taylor, to bring Eric and Florence to work with him. Mark agreed to let them come in temporarily for three weeks, provided that they were on their best behaviour.

It wasn’t planned to be a permanent move, but Eric and Florence were very well received and proved to be popular. Their initial plan evolved into a regular arrangement, and Eric and Florence now come to work with him and follow him around the Abbey.

“They’re very calm and friendly. They are not trained therapy dogs, but Eric and Florence naturally perform that role. They tend to have a soothing presence on people – visitors have found comfort and joy in simply sitting and stroking them,” Chris said.

On their working days, he asks visitors at the door if they would like to meet the dogs. If they agree, Eric and Florence happily come over; if not, they stay in place.

He has observed that Eric and Florence are able to identify those who want to interact with them, and those who want to stay away.

“I feel that they have a sixth sense for people. There are people who the dogs will gravitate towards, and 9/10 times they are the ones who fuss over them and give them attention,” Chris explained.

He has also witnessed numerous instances where people who aren’t initially interested in Eric and Florence become charmed by the end of their visit.

“I have had visitors say to me that if they saw me with the dogs outside, they would cross the road because they don’t like dogs. But as they spent more time in the Abbey with Eric and Florence around, they saw how calm they were and they actually wanted to meet them.

“One woman approached the dogs, stood by them, and said to her husband ‘I’m actually standing next to a dog’. It appeared to be a big step for her. She was able to do that because they didn’t bound over to her, they ignored her three or four times whilst she walked past them. She was then comfortable and happy enough to meet them.”

Chris explains that Tewkesbury Abbey has always had an open policy with dogs, so although Eric and Florence are now regular attenders at the Abbey, it is not new for dogs to be seen around the grounds: “We feel that if dogs weren’t allowed entry and a couple arrived with a dog, they’d be conscious of the fact that the other person is outside waiting with the dog, so one person goes in, rushes around the Abbey, and then swaps with the other person who does the same. We feel it’s better to have a joint shared experience with the dog than one out, one in.”

The Vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey adds: “As a former Benedictine Abbey, hospitality is one of our core values and that doesn’t stop with humanity.  All God’s creatures are welcome at Tewkesbury Abbey and it has been amazing to see the huge positive response online and in person to Eric and Flo.  Anything that we can do to enable more people to experience this glorious space and to find here an opportunity for peace, calm and reflection has got to be a good thing.  It also means that I’m now not the only one in the building wearing a dog collar.”

Word of the dog duo working at the Abbey has spread beyond the local community. Since a BBC News article was published on 1 July, as well as a TV report shown on BBC Points West on the same day, Chris has found that some people have been visiting Tewkesbury Abbey specifically to meet Eric and Florence.

Eric and Florence have also gained fame on social media, with a clip of the same TV report posted on BBC radio Gloucestershire’s Instagram account accumulating over 137,500 likes.

All are welcome to visit Eric and Florence at Tewkesbury Abbey. The Abbey is open from 9.30am to 4pm daily – visit  www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk.