See of Elmham

The See of Elmham was an episcopal see of the Anglo-Saxon Church in the Kingdom of East Anglia. It was established in the later 7th century when the East Anglian bishopric was divided into two sees, conventionally identified as Dunwich and Elmham.

The precise location of the earliest see has been debated. North Elmham in Norfolk is generally identified with the Elmham of the early medieval sources, although South Elmham in Suffolk has also been proposed. Archaeological excavations at North Elmham have revealed a substantial Middle Saxon settlement, later high-status buildings and a cemetery associated with an important ecclesiastical centre. At South Elmham, by contrast, the surviving church is later than the foundation of the see, and archaeological investigations have not established that the site was the location of the 7th-century episcopal see.

The episcopal succession was interrupted during the period of Viking activity in the 9th century and was restored during the 10th century. Following the Norman Conquest, the episcopal seat was transferred from Elmham to Thetford and subsequently to Norwich, where the medieval Diocese of Norwich was established.