First Dogs in Cathedral Calendar Launched

St Edmundsbury Cathedral is the first cathedral to launch its own Dogs in Cathedral calendar.

Dogs in Cathedrals Calendar 2025

The 2025 Calendar has just gone on sale and features twelve different breeds of dogs in and around the cathedral – all regulars from the cathedral community.

St Eds has welcomed well-behaved dogs into the building for some time and wanted to celebrate its status winning an award in the Most Dog Friendly Town category  in last year’s National Dog Friendly Awards.

Marketing and Communications Manager, Catherine Rayson, created the calendar and said:

“With Bury St Edmunds being voted the most dog friendly town in England last year, we wanted to celebrate the fact that dogs are very welcome here at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

“All our models were so well-behaved and gave me two of the most fun workdays I’ve had in a while!”

The launch of the new calendar comes just a few weeks before Bury St Edmunds compete once more in the National Dog Friendly Awards. The awards honour and acknowledge establishments that go above and beyond to accommodate the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome at a total of 25 out of our 42 cathedrals these are: Bradford, Bristol, Carlisle, Coventry, Chester, Chichester, Derby, Durham, Ely, Lincoln, Lichfield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Norwich, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Sheffield, Southwell Minster, St Albans, St Edmundsbury, Truro, Winchester, Worcester and Wells.

A spokesperson for The Association of English Cathedrals said:

“Dogs are such an important part of so many people’s daily lives – more so since the pandemic – and while all cathedrals have always welcomed assistance dogs, some of our cathedrals have begun to open as dog-friendly spaces.

“This is done mindfully with strict rules in place to make sure all our cathedrals remain safe and enjoyable spaces for all visitors at all times.”

Some dog-friendly cathedrals operate “no dog” times for those who would rather visit when there are no dogs around.

Others like Chichester have partnered with The British Pilgrimage Trust to encourage the public to complete a new walking route into the city – alongside their canine companions.

Dogs in St Eds Cathedral calendar was created by St Eds Marketing and Communications Manager, Catherine Rayson, with photography by Tom Soper. Photography and printing by local firm, Premier Printers.

The calendar cost £10 and can be found in the Cathedral Shop and Cathedral reception.