Diocese of Norwich


The Diocese of Norwich forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.

History

It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the diocese of the Bishop of the East Angles founded in 630. In common with many Anglo-Saxon bishoprics it moved, in this case to Elmham in 673. After the Norman invasion it moved to Thetford in 1070 finally moving to Norwich in 1094.
It covers 573 parishes with 656 churches covering all of the county of Norfolk save for the extreme west beyond the River Great Ouse that is part of the diocese of Ely. It includes the deanery of Lothingland in the county of Suffolk. This totals an area over with a population of some 867,000.
Like most older dioceses, the territory has been gradually reduced. Until the formation of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich in 1914, Suffolk was included, and earlier other areas.

Organisation

Bishops

The Bishop of Norwich leads the diocese and is assisted by two suffragan bishops, the bishop of Thetford and the bishop of Lynn. The suffragan sees of Ipswich and of Thetford were both created by the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 but went into abeyance after one incumbent; Thetford was next filled in 1894 and Ipswich in 1899. The See of Ipswich has been in abeyance since before the diocesan see including that city's name was created; a new second suffragan see – of Lynn – was therefore founded in 1963.
Alternative episcopal oversight is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Norman Banks, Bishop suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese to facilitate his ministry. There are also seven retired bishops living in the diocese who are licensed as honorary assistant bishops:
The former deaneries of Ingworth and Sparham were combined in 2018. The deaneries of St Benet at Waxham and Tunstead were combined in 1996. The deanery of Hingham and Mitford was split between the deaneries of Dereham and Humbleyard in 1995.
*including Cathedral
**including Walsingham Shrine

Churches

Last fully updated 9 October 2018.

Not in a deanery

Deanery of Norwich East

Deanery of Norwich North

Deanery of Norwich South

Deanery of Blofield

Deanery of Depwade

Deanery of Great Yarmouth

Deanery of Humbleyard

Deanery of Loddon

Deanery of Lothingland

Deanery of Redenhall http://www.redenhalldeanery.org.uk/

Deanery of St Benet at Waxham & Tunstead

Deanery of Thetford & Rockland

Deanery of Breckland

Deanery of Burnham & Walsingham

Deanery of Dereham in Mitford

Deanery of Heacham & Rising

Deanery of Holt

Deanery of Ingworth and Sparham

Deanery of Lynn

Deanery of Repps

Dedications

This table is drawn from the above lists. More than half of the churches in the diocese have just four dedications: St Mary, St Andrew, All Saints and St Peter.
SaintNo.
St Agnes1
St Alban1
All Saints106
St Andrew66
St Andrew & All Saints2
SS Andrew & Mary2
SS Andrew & Peter2
St Anne1
Assumption of Mary5
St Barnabas1
St Bartholomew4
St Benedict2
St Botolph8
St Catherine3
Christ Church4
St Clement1
Holy Cross2
St Cuthbert2
St David1
St Edmund 13
St Elizabeth1
St Ethelbert4
SS Fabian & Sebastian1
St Faith1
Fountain of Life1
St Francis1
St George8
SS Gervase & Protase1
St Giles4
Good Shepherd1
Grace Church1
St Helen4
St Helen & All Saints1
Holy Innocents1
St James3
St John the Baptist13
St John the Baptist's Head1
St John the Baptist & All Saints1
St John the Evangelist5
SS John & Mary1
St Julian1
St Lawrence6
St Leonard2
St Luke2
St Margaret37
St Margaret & All Saints1
St Mark2
St Martin8
St Mary Magdalene7
St Mary the Virgin122
St Mary & All Saints2
St Mary & Holy Cross1
SS Mary & Botolph1
SS Mary & Margaret4
SS Mary & Thomas Becket1
SS Mary & Walstan1
St Matthew1
St Matthias1
St Maurice1
St Michael 26
St Nicholas19
SS Nicholas, Mary & Thomas1
St Paul5
St Peter49
SS Peter & John1
SS Peter & Paul26
St Remigius3
St Stephen1
St Swithin3
St Thomas2
Holy Trinity11
Holy Trinity & All Saints1
St Withburga1
No dedication5