List of Church of England dioceses

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Dioceses of the Church of England: Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content.

Province of Canterbury

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Province of York

There are 42 dioceses of the Church of England.^[1] These cover England, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and a small part of Wales. The Diocese in Europe is also a part of the Church of England,^[1] and covers the whole of continental Europe, Morocco and the post-Soviet states.^[2] The structure of dioceses within the Church of England was initially inherited from the Catholic Church as part of the English Reformation.Template:Sfn During the Reformation a number of new dioceses were founded,Template:Sfn but no more were then created until the middle of the 19th century,Template:Sfn when dioceses were founded mainly in response to the growing population, especially in the northern industrial cities.Template:Sfn The most recent diocese to be established was the Diocese of Leeds, which came into being on 20 April 2014.^[3] Prior to that, no new dioceses had been created since 1927. Leeds was created by combining three previous dioceses: the Diocese of Bradford, the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, and the Diocese of Wakefield.^[3]

The 42 current dioceses are divided into two provinces. The Province of Canterbury in the south comprises 30 dioceses and the Province of York in the north comprises 12.^[1] The archbishops of Canterbury and York have pastoral oversight over the bishops within their province, along with certain other rights and responsibilities.Template:Sfn Each diocese has one cathedral, except for the Diocese of Leeds, which has three that are considered co-equal. Of all the dioceses, Derby has the smallest cathedral: Derby Cathedral takes up only Template:Convert.^[4] One diocese dates back to the 6th century, eight date back to the 7th century, two to the 10th century, five to the 11th century, two to the 12th century, five to the 16th century, seven to the 19th century, and ten to the 20th century. The territories administered by the various dioceses generally accord with the counties as they existed before the Local Government Act 1972.

Dioceses

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Diocese^[5] (bishop)	Coat of arms^[6]	Province^[1]	Territory^[1]	Cathedral^[7]	FoundedTemplate:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Bath and Wells arms.svg	Canterbury	Somerset; North Somerset; Bath and North East Somerset; the parish of Thorncombe in Dorset Template:Sfn	Wells Cathedral^[8]	Template:Dts (Diocese of Wells)Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Birmingham arms.svg	Canterbury	Birmingham; Sandwell except part of the north; Solihull except part of the east; part of Warwickshire; some parishes in Worcestershire Template:Sfn	St Philip's Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Blackburn arms updated.svg	York	Lancashire except part of the east and south, Liverpool, and Manchester; some parishes in Wigan Template:Sfn	Blackburn Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts (from Manchester)^[9]
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Bristol arms.svg	Canterbury	Bristol; southern two-thirds of South Gloucestershire; northern quarter of Wiltshire except part of the north; Swindon except part of the north and south; some parishes in Gloucestershire Template:Sfn	Bristol Cathedral^[10]	Template:Dts Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Archbishop)	File:Archbishop of Canterbury arms.svg	Canterbury	Kent east of Medway Template:Sfn	Canterbury Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Carlisle arms.svg	York	Cumbria except Alston Moor (part of the Diocese of Newcastle), and the former Sedbergh Rural District (part of the Diocese of Leeds)Template:Sfn	Carlisle Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Chemlsford arms.svg	Canterbury	Essex except part of the north; part of East London north of the River Thames; part of South Cambridgeshire Template:Sfn	Chelmsford Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Chester arms.svg	York	Cheshire; the Wirral Peninsula; Halton south of the River Mersey; Warrington south of the River Mersey; Trafford except part of the north; Stockport except part of the north and east; the eastern half of Tameside; part of Derbyshire; part of Manchester; part of Flintshire Template:Sfn	Chester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Chichester arms.svg ^[11]	Canterbury	West Sussex except part of the north; East Sussex except part of the north; part of Kent Template:Sfn	Chichester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Coventry arms.svg	Canterbury	Coventry; Warwickshire except part of the north, southwest, and south; part of Solihull Template:Sfn	Coventry Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Derby arms.svg	Canterbury	Derbyshire except part of the north; part of Stockport; part of Staffordshire Template:Sfn	Derby Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts^[12]
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Durham arms.svg	York	Durham except part of the southwest and north; Gateshead; South Tyneside; Sunderland; Hartlepool; Darlington; Stockton-on-Tees north of the River Tees Template:Sfn	Durham Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Ely arms.svg	Canterbury	Cambridgeshire except part of the northwest and south; the western quarter of Norfolk; part of Bedfordshire Template:Sfn	Ely Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Gibraltar arms.svg	Canterbury	Europe except Great Britain and Ireland; Morocco; Turkey; the post-Soviet states in AsiaTemplate:Sfn	Gibraltar Cathedral^[13]	Template:Dts (Diocese of Gibraltar)^[14] 1980 (Diocese in Europe)
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Exeter arms.svg	Canterbury	Devon except part of the southeast and west; Plymouth; Torbay Template:Sfn	Exeter Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Gloucester arms.svg	Canterbury	Gloucestershire except part of the north, south, and east; the northern third of South Gloucestershire; part of Wiltshire; part of southwest Warwickshire; part of southern Worcestershire Template:Sfn	Gloucester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Guildford arms.svg	Canterbury	The western two-thirds of Surrey south of the River Thames except part of the northeast; part of northeastern Hampshire; part of Greater London; part of West Sussex Template:Sfn	Guildford Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Hereford arms.svg	Canterbury	Herefordshire; the southern half of Shropshire; part of Powys and Monmouthshire Template:Sfn	Hereford Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Leeds arms.svg	York	Ripon; Bradford; Leeds; Huddersfield; Wakefield^[15]	Co-equally: Ripon Cathedral, Wakefield Cathedral, Bradford Cathedral^[16]	Template:Dts (thereby dissolving the dioceses of Bradford, Ripon and Leeds, and Wakefield)^[3]
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Leicester arms.svg	Canterbury	Leicestershire; part of Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, and Warwickshire Template:Sfn	Leicester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Lichfield arms v2.svg	Canterbury	Staffordshire except part of the southeast and southwest; the northern half of Shropshire; Wolverhampton; Walsall; the northern half of Sandwell Template:Sfn	Lichfield Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Lincoln arms.svg	Canterbury	Lincolnshire; North East Lincolnshire; North Lincolnshire except part of the westTemplate:Sfn	Lincoln Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Liverpool arms.svg	York	Liverpool; Sefton; Knowsley; St Helens; Wigan except part of the north and east; Halton north of the River Mersey; most of West Lancashire Template:Sfn	Liverpool Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of London arms.svg	Canterbury	The City of London; Greater London north of the River Thames except part of the east and north; Surrey north of the Thames; part of Hertfordshire Template:Sfn	St Paul's Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Manchester arms.svg	York	Manchester except part of the south; Salford; Bolton; Bury; Rochdale; Oldham; the western half of Tameside; part of Wigan, Trafford, Stockport, and southern Lancashire Template:Sfn	Manchester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Newcastle arms.svg	York	Northumberland; Newcastle upon Tyne; North Tyneside; part of eastern Cumbria; part of County Durham Template:Sfn	Newcastle Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Norwich arms.svg	Canterbury	Norfolk except part of the west; part of northeastern Suffolk Template:Sfn	Norwich Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Oxford arms.svg	Canterbury	Oxfordshire; Berkshire; Buckinghamshire; part of Hampshire and Hertfordshire Template:Sfn	Christ Church Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Peterborough arms.svg	Canterbury	Northamptonshire except part of the west; Rutland; Peterborough except part of the southeast; part of Lincolnshire Template:Sfn	Peterborough Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Portsmouth arms.svg	Canterbury	The southeastern third of Hampshire; the Isle of Wight Template:Sfn	Portsmouth Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Rochester arms.svg	Canterbury	Kent west of the River Medway except part of the southwest; Medway; most of Bromley Bexley; part of East Sussex Template:Sfn	Rochester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of St Albans arms.svg	Canterbury	Hertfordshire except part of the south and west; Bedfordshire except part of the north and west; part of Greater London Template:Sfn	St Albans Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich arms.svg	Canterbury	Suffolk except part of the northeast; part of Essex Template:Sfn	St Edmundsbury Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Salisbury arms.svg	Canterbury	The southern three quarters of Wiltshire; Dorset except part of the east; part of Hampshire and Devon Template:Sfn	Salisbury Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Sheffield arms.svg	York	Sheffield; Rotherham; Doncaster except part of the southeast; part of North Lincolnshire; part of northeastern Barnsley; part of the East Riding of Yorkshire Template:Sfn	Sheffield Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Sodor and Man arms.svg	York	The Isle of Man Template:Sfn	Peel Cathedral	Template:DtsTemplate:Circa (English jurisdiction) 447 (first founded)Template:Sfn
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Southwark arms.svg	Canterbury	Greater London south of the River Thames except most of Bromley and Bexley and part of the southwest; the eastern third of Surrey Template:Sfn	Southwark Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham arms.svg	York	Nottinghamshire; part of South Yorkshire Template:Sfn	Southwell Minster Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Truro arms.svg	Canterbury	Cornwall; the Isles of Scilly; part of Devon Template:Sfn	Truro Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Winchester arms.svg	Canterbury	Hampshire except the southeastern quarter and part of the northeast, west, and north; part of eastern Dorset; the Channel Islands Template:Sfn	Winchester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Worcester arms.svg	Canterbury	Worcestershire except part of the south and north; part of Wolverhampton, Sandwell, and northern Gloucestershire Template:Sfn	Worcester Cathedral Template:Sfn	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Archbishop)	File:Archbishop of York arms.svg	York	York; East Riding of Yorkshire except part of the southwest; Kingston upon Hull; Redcar and Cleveland; Middlesbrough; the eastern half of North Yorkshire; Stockton-on-Tees south of the River Tees; part of Leeds Template:Sfn	York Minster Template:Sfn	Template:Dts

Former dioceses

Diocese (bishop)	Coat of arms	Province	Territory	Cathedral	Founded	Dissolved
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Bradford arms.svg	York	Bradford; Craven District; the former Sedbergh Rural District	Bradford Cathedral	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
Gloucester and Bristol (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol arms.svg	Canterbury	Gloucestershire except part of the north and east; South Gloucestershire; part of northern Wiltshire; part of southwest Warwickshire; part of southern Worcestershire; Bristol; Swindon except part of the north and south	Co-equally: Gloucester Cathedral, Bristol Cathedral	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Ripon arms.svg	York	Part of western and northern Yorkshire; the south Teesdale area	Ripon Cathedral	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Diocese of Wakefield arms.svg	York	Wakefield; Barnsley; Kirklees; Calderdale	Wakefield Cathedral	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
Template:Sort (Bishop)	File:Unknown Blazon.svg	Canterbury	Westminster; Middlesex except Fulham	Westminster Abbey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts

Statistics

Source:^[17]^[18] Diocese of Europe excluded. Template:Table alignment

Approximate statistics
Diocese	Population	Area (sq. miles)	Pop. density (per sq. mile)	Benefices	Parishes	Churches	People per church
Bath & Wells	980,000	1610	600	175	460	557	1,759
Birmingham	1,599,000	290	5420	138	149	180	8,883
Blackburn	1,384,000	930	1480	170	230	276	5,014
Bristol	1,065,000	470	2230	100	167	202	5,272
Canterbury	981,000	970	1020	99	201	313	3,134
Carlisle	498,000	2570	190	104	227	323	1,542
Chelmsford	3,279,000	1530	2130	303	469	575	5,703
Chester	1,677,000	1030	1600	214	264	337	4,976
Chichester	1,704,000	1450	1180	274	348	474	3,595
Coventry	896,000	700	1320	125	204	240	3,733
Derby	1,064,000	990	1080	139	253	312	3,410
Durham	1,475,000	980	1530	169	207	258	5,717
Ely	803,000	1530	500	141	303	327	2,456
Exeter	1,214,000	2570	470	149	484	594	2,044
Gloucester	690,000	1130	610	90	296	377	1,830
Guildford	1,077,000	530	2020	142	160	211	5,104
Hereford	322,000	1650	200	77	338	399	807
Leeds	2,777,000	2630	1060	264	442	580	4,788
Leicester	1,086,000	830	1290	103	245	311	3,492
Lichfield	2,202,000	1730	1270	234	422	542	4,063
Lincoln	1,093,000	2670	410	180	476	622	1,757
Liverpool	1,621,000	390	4130	125	168	233	6,957
London	4,246,000	280	16010	408	402	471	9,015
Manchester	2,233,000	420	5330	175	256	320	6,978
Newcastle	832,000	2100	400	123	170	235	3,540
Norwich	928,000	1800	520	158	554	640	1,450
Oxford	2,511,000	2210	1100	285	609	811	3,096
Peterborough	971,000	1140	830	127	347	379	2,562
Portsmouth	784,000	420	1900	105	132	165	4,752
Rochester	1,375,000	540	2570	171	210	258	5,329
Salisbury	1,148,000	2130	539	164	463	609	1,885
Sheffield	1,278,000	610	2140	141	169	208	6,144
Sodor & Man	86,000	220	390	14	15	38	2,263
Southwark	2,880,000	320	9030	263	295	355	8,113
Southwell & Nottingham	1,152,000	840	1390	151	226	296	3,892
St Albans	1,978,000	1120	1750	187	338	403	4,908
St Eds & Ipswich	684,000	1430	480	111	444	481	1,422
Truro	573,000	1390	420	96	214	298	1,923
Winchester	1,255,000	1130	1100	132	240	352	3,565
Worcester	908,000	670	1350	84	166	273	3,326
York	1,457,000	2670	550	231	441	574	2,538

Notes

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Bibliography

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