Historical development of Church of England dioceses
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This article traces the historical development of the dioceses and cathedrals of the Church of England. It is customary in England to name each diocese after the city where its cathedral is located. Occasionally, when the bishop's seat has been moved from one city to another, the diocese may retain both names, for example Bath and Wells. More recently, where a cathedral is in a small or little-known city, the diocesan name has been changed to include the name of a nearby larger city: thus the cathedral in Southwell now serves the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, and Ripon Cathedral was in Ripon and Leeds from 1999 until 2014. Cathedrals, like other churches, are dedicated to a particular saint or holy object, or Christ himself, but are commonly referred to by the name of the city where they stand. A cathedral is, simply, the church where the bishop has his chair or "cathedra". The forty-two
dioceses of the Church of England There are 42 Church of England dioceses, each being an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop. 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 ...
are administrative territorial units each governed by a bishop. Forty-one dioceses cover England, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the
Isles of Scilly The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of the ...
, and a small part of Wales. One diocese, the Diocese in Europe, is also a part of the Church of England (rather than a separate
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church such as the Church in Wales), and covers the whole of mainland Europe, the countries of Morocco and Turkey, and the territory of the former Soviet Union. The structure of the dioceses within the Church of England was initially inherited from the Catholic Church as part of the
English Reformation The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
. During the Reformation, a number of new dioceses were founded. No new English or Welsh dioceses were then created until the middle of the 19th century, when dioceses were founded mainly in response to the growing population, especially in the northern
industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
cities. From 1787, the Anglican church also erected 41 dioceses outside these isles (see § colonial dioceses); these were part of the Church of England until they were separated from the home Church in 1863. From 1801 until 1871, the dioceses of Ireland were also part of the
United Church of England and Ireland The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. In 1920 (by the
Welsh Church Act 1914 The Welsh Church Act 1914 is an Act of Parliament under which the Church of England was separated and disestablished in Wales and Monmouthshire, leading to the creation of the Church in Wales. The Act had long been demanded by the Nonconformist ...
), the Welsh dioceses were separated to form the Church in Wales. The last dioceses were created in 1927. The 42 dioceses are divided between two Provinces: the
Province of Canterbury The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitute the Church of England. The other is the Province of York (which consists of 12 dioceses). Overview The Province consist ...
(with 30 dioceses) and the Province of York (with 12 dioceses). The
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
s of Canterbury and York have pastoral oversight over the bishops within their province, along with certain other rights and responsibilities.


History

The history of the cathedrals in Great Britain differs somewhat from that of their European continental counterparts. British cathedrals have always been fewer in number than those of Italy, France, and other parts of Europe, while the buildings themselves have tended to be much larger. While France, at the time of the French Revolution, had 136 cathedrals, England had 27. Because of a ruling that no cathedral could be built in a village, any town in which a cathedral was located was elevated to city status, regardless of its size. To this day several large English cathedrals are located in small "cathedral cities", notably
Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...
and
Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formal ...
Cathedrals, both of which rank among the greatest works of English Medieval architecture.


Early organisation

In earlier times, populations were sparsely spread and towns were few. The population of the kingdom of England in the 11th century is estimated at between one and two million, with Lincolnshire, East Anglia, and East Kent the most densely populated areas; in other parts of the country many villages had been razed by the conquest armies. Instead of exercising jurisdiction over geographical areas, many of the bishops were linked to tribes or peoples, as the bishops of the South Saxons, the West Saxons, the Somersætas, etc. The ''cathedra'' of such a bishop was often migratory. In 1075 a
council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
was held in London, under the presidency of Archbishop
Lanfranc Lanfranc, OSB (1005  1010 – 24 May 1089) was a celebrated Italian jurist who renounced his career to become a Benedictine monk at Bec in Normandy. He served successively as prior of Bec Abbey and abbot of St Stephen in Normandy and then ...
, which, reciting the decrees of the council of Sardica held in 347 and that of Laodicea held in 360 on this matter, ordered the bishop of the South Saxons to remove his
see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...
from Selsey to Chichester; the Wiltshire and Dorset bishop to remove his cathedra from Sherborne to Old Sarum, and the Mercian bishop, whose cathedral was then at Lichfield, to transfer it to
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
. Traces of the tribal and migratory system may still be noted in the designations of the Irish see of Meath (where the result has been that there is now no cathedral church) and Ossory, the cathedral church of which is at
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
. Some of the Scottish sees were also migratory.


Late Middle Ages

Between 1075 and the 15th century, the cathedrals of England were almost evenly divided between those ruled by secular canons headed by a dean and those ruled by monastic orders headed by a prior, all of which were Benedictine, except Carlisle, which was
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...
. Two cathedrals, Bath and Coventry, shared their sees with Wells and Lichfield, respectively.


Reformation

The entire structure of the monastic and cathedral system was overthrown and reconstituted during the Reformation. Cathedrals which were once Roman Catholic came under the governance of the Church of England. All the English monastic cathedral chapters were dissolved by Henry VIII and, with the exceptions of
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
and Coventry, were re-founded by him as churches of secular chapters, with a dean as the head, and a certain number of canons ranging from twelve at Canterbury and Durham to four at
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, and with certain subordinate officers as minor canons, gospellers, epistolers, etc. The precentorship in these churches of the "New Foundation", as they are called, is not, as in the secular churches of the "Old Foundation", a dignity, but is merely an office held by one of the minor canons. Henry VIII also created six new cathedrals from old monastic establishments, in each case governed by secular canons. Of these, Westminster did not retain its cathedral status. Four more of England's large historic churches were later to become cathedrals: Southwell, Southwark, Ripon, and St Albans Abbey.


Roles within the Cathedral


Details of cathedrals and their foundation


Ancient cathedrals

The medieval Church of England was organised into 17 dioceses. About half of the diocesan cathedrals were also monasteries, with the prior serving double duty as dean of the cathedral. The rest were served by a college of "secular" canons – non-monastic
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...
living under no fixed rule of life. Both types often had Saxon foundations. Dioceses which exist in the Church of England today are indicated in bold type.


Pre-Conquest


Post-conquest


The Henrican Reorganisation

After
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
's break with the Pope and the dissolution of the monasteries, the formerly monastic cathedrals were "re-founded" with secular canons. Furthermore, a number of new dioceses were formed, using some of the largest and finest of the other dissolved monasteries as cathedrals. Together, these two groups — the old monastic cathedrals and the new sees — were known as cathedrals of the New Foundation; the old cathedrals which had always been served by secular canons were known as those of the Old Foundation. Dioceses which exist in the Church of England today are indicated in bold type.


Colonial dioceses

During the British colonial era, the Anglican religion was exported to the colonies. From 1787 onwards, Church of England dioceses were founded in the colonies. A structure of provinces and metropolitans developed until, in 1863, the imperial Privy Council ruled that the English church hierarchy had no legal status in the colonies. Immediately prior to that point, the United Church of England and Ireland had a total of 82 dioceses worldwide. From 1863 onwards, Anglican (former) colonial dioceses have been separate from and independent of the English church. Exceptionally, the Archbishop of Canterbury has retained (and retains to this day) some metropolitan jurisdictions outside England. Dioceses are listed by their name at creation and their present country, with only their cathedral(s) between creation and independence.


Irish dioceses

Between the 1801 Union and 1871 disestablishment, the Anglican dioceses of England and Ireland were united in one
United Church of England and Ireland The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. As such, the Irish dioceses were, for a time, Church of England dioceses. Each diocese is listed with its cathedral(s) only during the United Church period.


Late modern foundations

No further cathedrals were founded until, in the mid 19th century, the huge population growth of north-central England meant that redistricting could no longer be ignored. Since then twenty new dioceses have been founded, each with a cathedral — some are great medieval monasteries or collegiate churches which were not elevated by Henry VIII but might well have been; others are glorified parish churches; and others are totally new constructions. In the following table, bold type indicates the creation of a new diocese, whilst plain type is used to indicate changes to existing dioceses.


Line of descent since St Augustine

There were archbishops in London, York and Caerleon and bishops in Lincoln before the 4th century. The following is a simplified breakdown of the creation of dioceses since St Augustine's 6th/7th century dioceses. It is simplified in that not every new diocese is formed from only one predecessor – they have often taken territory from two or more neighbouring dioceses. Today's dioceses are highlighted in bold type. * Canterbury – 597–present * Rochester – 604–present **Hertfordshire and Essex split off to form Diocese of St Albans, 1876–present ***Essex split off to form
Diocese of Chelmsford The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest (most of which wer ...
, 1914–present * London – 604–present **seat at St Paul's 604–1539 ***split into
Diocese of Westminster Diocese of Westminster may refer to: * Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, since 1850, with seat at Westminster Cathedral * Diocese of Westminster (Church of England) The Diocese of Westminster was a short-lived diocese of the Church of Engl ...
(seat at Westminster Abbey), 1540–50 **seats at St Paul's and Westminster Abbey, 1550–56 **seat at St Paul's, 1556–present ***Hertfordshire and Essex moved to Rochester, 1846 * York – 625–present **Lindisfarne added (bishop of larger diocese also called " Bishop of Northumbria"), 664 **larger diocese split in 678 to form: ***Diocese of York ****
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
, 735–present ****split to create (with part of Lichfield-and-Coventry) the Diocese of Chester, 1541–present *****
Province of Canterbury The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitute the Church of England. The other is the Province of York (which consists of 12 dioceses). Overview The Province consist ...
until 1542; Province of York since *****split to create (with part of York) new Diocese of Ripon, 1836–2014 (renamed Ripon and Leeds, 1999) ******split to form Diocese of Wakefield, 1888–2014 ******split to form
Diocese of Bradford The Diocese of Bradford is a former Church of England diocese within the Province of York. The diocese covered the area of the City of Bradford, Craven district and the former Sedbergh Rural District now in Cumbria. The seat of the episcopal ...
, 1920–2014 ***** Diocese of Leeds, created from former territory of dissolved dioceses of Ripon and Leeds, of Wakefield and of Bradford, 2014–present *****split to form Diocese of Manchester, 1847–present ******split to form Diocese of Blackburn, 1926–present *****split to form Diocese of Liverpool, 1880–present ****split to form Diocese of Sheffield, 1914–present ***old Diocese of Ripon, 678 (reunited to York before 700) ***Bernicia diocese (split 685) ****
Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden, Northumberland, Warden nearby, and ...
diocese (two parts reabsorbed into York and Lindisfarne, 854) ****Lindisfarne diocese ''(see below)'' *East Anglia/ Norwich – c. 630–present **" Bishop of the East Angles", c. 630–672 ***seat at Soham, c. 630 (purportedly, briefly before transfer to Dunwich) ***seat at Dunwich, c. 630–672 **split into Elmham/
Norwich diocese Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, 672–present ***seat at Elmham, 673–1070 ***seat at Thetford, 1070–1094 ***seat at Norwich, 1094–present **split to form Dunwich diocese, 672–c. 950 ***suppressed and reunited to Elmham, c. 950 * Dorchester (Wessex)/ Diocese of Winchester, 634–present **seat at Dorchester-upon-Thames until c. 660–680 **seat in flux c. 660–680 **seat at
Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
since c. 660–680 **split to form Selsey/ Chichester diocese, 681–present ***seat at Selsey, 681–685 & 706–1075 ***suppressed & absorbed by Winchester, 685–706 ***seat at Chichester since 1075 ***split off to form Sherborne/ Salisbury diocese, 705–present ****seat at Sherborne until 1075 ****seat at Old Sarum, 1075–1225 ****seat at New Sarum since 1225 ****split off to form Crediton/ Exeter diocese, 905–present *****seat at Tawton until c. 909 *****seat at Credition, c. 909–1050 *****seat at
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
since 1050 *****absorbed Cornish see, 1027 *****split to form
Diocese of Truro The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral. Geography and history The di ...
, 1876–present ****split to form Ramsbury diocese, c. 909–1058 *****suppressed and reunited to Sherborne ****split to form ''the Somerset diocese'', c. 909–present *****
Diocese of Wells The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the ...
; seat at
Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...
, c. 909–1090 *****
Diocese of Bath The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the C ...
; seat at
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, 1090–1197 & 1219–1245 ***** Diocese of Bath and Glastonbury; seat at Glastonbury, 1197–1219 ***** Diocese of Bath and Wells; equal seats at Bath and at Wells, 1245–1539 *****Diocese of Bath and Wells; seat at Wells, 1539–present **south London area given to Rochester, 1877–1905 ***similar area formed the
Diocese of Southwark The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient Dio ...
, 1905–present **split off to form Diocese of Portsmouth, 1927–present **split off to form Diocese of Guildford, 1927–present *
Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important ...
/ Durham – 635–present **seat at
Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important ...
, 635–664 & 685–875 **united to York, 664–678 **united to Bernicia, 678–685 **seat at Chester-le-Street, 875–995 **seat at Durham, 995–present **called Prince-Bishop, c. 1071–c. 1836 **split to form Diocese of Carlisle, 1133–present **split to form
Diocese of Newcastle The Diocese of Newcastle is a Church of England diocese based in Newcastle upon Tyne, covering the historic county of Northumberland (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear north of the River Tyne), as well as the area of Alston Moo ...
(upon Tyne), 1882–present * Lichfield – 656–present **Mercian diocese; seat at Repton, 656–669 ** Diocese of Lichfield; seat at Lichfield, 669–1075 & 1837–present **Archbishop of Lichfield, metropolitan over Worcester, Leicester, Lindsey, Hereford, Elmham and Dunwich, 786–796 (seized from Canterbury) **Old Diocese of Chester; seat at
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, 1075–1102 ***''for new Diocese of Chester, see above'' **Old Diocese of Coventry; seat at Coventry, 1102–1228 (co-cathedral at Chester 1102–?) ***''for new Diocese of Coventry, see below'' **Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield; seats both at Coventry and at Lichfield, 1228–1539 **Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry; seat at Lichfield, 1539–1837 **split to form Hereford diocese, 676–present **split to form Lindsey diocese, 678–c. 1010 ***suppressed and given to the Dorchester (Mercian) diocese, c. 1010 ''(see below)'' **split to form Worcester diocese, 680–present ***split to form Gloucester diocese, 1541–1552 & 1554–present ****Diocese of Gloucester; seat at Gloucester, 1541–1552, 1554–1836 & 1897–present ****Diocese of Worcester and Gloucester; seats both at Worcester and at Gloucester, 1552–1554 ****Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol; seats both at Gloucester and at Bristol, 1836–1897 ****split to form Bristol diocese, 1542–present *****suppressed and merged to Gloucester diocese, 1836–1897 ***split to form Birmingham diocese, 1905–present ***split to form new Coventry diocese, 1918–present **split to form old Leicester/ Dorchester (Mercian)/ Lincoln diocese, 681–present ***seat at
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
, 681–878 ***seat at Dorchester-upon-Thames, 878–1072 ***seat at Lincoln, 1072–present ***split to form Ely diocese, 1108–present ****split to form the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, 1914–present ***split to form Peterborough diocese, 1541–present ****split to form new Leicester diocese, 1926–present ***split to form Oxford diocese, 1542–present ****seat at
Osney Osney or Osney Island (; an earlier spelling of the name is ''Oseney'') is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. In modern times the name is applied to a community also known as Osney Town astride Botley Road, just we ...
, 1542 ****seat at Christ Church, 1542–present **some territory ceded to Worcester, 1837; some of which became Birmingham and Coventry dioceses, 1905 & 1918 ''(see above) **split to form Southwell diocese, 1884–present ***Province of Canterbury until 1936; Province of York since ***called Southwell and Nottingham since 2005 ***split to form Derby diocese, 1927–present *Old Cornish bishopric – c. 920–1027 **See at St Germans **Called "
Bishop of Cornwall The Bishop of Cornwall was the bishop of a diocese which existed between about 930 and 1050. Nothing is known about bishops in the post-Roman British Kingdom of Cornwall, but by the mid-ninth century Wessex was gaining control over the area, and b ...
" and "Bishop of St Germans" **Absorbed by Crediton ''(see above)'' *Glamorgan area – c522–present ''(Wales)'' **Bishop of (St) Teilo until before 1107 **Under Canterbury's jurisdiction by 982 **Bishop of Glamorgan (and Gwent), before 1107–1115 ** Diocese of Llandaff; Bishop of Llandaff; seat at Llandaff, 1115–present ** Church in Wales since 1920 *
Bangor diocese The Bishop of Bangor is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor. The see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol. The ''Report of the Commissioners appointed b ...
– 546–present ''(Wales)'' **Under Canterbury's jurisdiction by c. 1081 ** Church in Wales since 1920 * St David's diocese – 545–present ''(Wales)'' **Archbishop of St David's until 1115 **Under Canterbury's jurisdiction by 1115 ** Church in Wales since 1920 * St Asaph diocese – c. 583–present ''(Wales)'' **Under Canterbury's jurisdiction by 1143 ** Church in Wales since 1920 * Sodor and Man diocese received from Norwegian jurisdiction – c. 1400–present **Province of Canterbury until 1542; Province of York since * Europe diocese, 1842–present **Diocese of Gibraltar (over southern Europe), founded 1842 **merged with London's continental jurisdictions (over northern and central Europe) and renamed Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe, 1980


See also

* Apostolicae curae *
Monasticism Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role ...
* Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England *
List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom NK = Not known See also * List of Anglican churches in the United Kingdom *List of Catholic churches in the United Kingdom A list of Catholic churches in the United Kingdom, notable current and former individual church buildings and congr ...
* Anglican Communion * List of Church of England dioceses * Gesta pontificum Anglorum


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


England and Wales Diocese boundaries in 1835 and 1850
{{DEFAULTSORT:Historical Development Of Church Of England Dioceses History of Christianity in the United Kingdom History of the Church of England *History England