The Diocese of Peterborough forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. Its seat is the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, which was founded as a monastery in AD 655 and re-built in its present form between 1118 and 1238.
History Founded at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1541 (it was until then part of the Diocese of Lincoln), the Diocese covers the areas of: The Soke of Peterborough The county of Northamptonshire and The county of Rutland.
From 1839 till 1927 the Peterborough diocese covered the territory of the Archdeaconry of Leicester which is now the (modern) Diocese of Leicester.
Peterborough Abbey became a cathedral at the Reformation, one of six wholly new bishoprics founded under Henry VIII. On 4 September 1541 letters patent were issued converting the abbey church of Peterborough into a cathedral church, with a dean and chapter and ecclesiastical staff. The last abbot, John Chambers, was consecrated in his former abbey church on 23 October 1541 as the first Bishop of Peterborough.
A link with the Anglican Church of Kenya Diocese of Bungoma was formed by the two bishops following the Lambeth Conference in 1998.
In 1851 the diocese comprised the following rural deaneries:
Covering Leicestershire: Akeley, Christianity, Framland, Gartree, Goscote, Guthlaxton, Sparkenhoe. Covering Northamptonshire: Brackley, Daventry, Haddon, Higham Ferrers, Northampton, Oundle, Peterborough Preston, Rothwell, Weldon. Covering Rutland: Rutland.
Organisation The Diocese is divided into two Archdeaconries: The Archdeaconry of Northampton, and The Archdeaconry of Oakham (created in 1875 by splitting the Archdeaconry of Northampton).
The parts of the City of Peterborough that are south of the River Nene, and so were in the historic county of Huntingdonshire rather than the Soke of Peterborough, fall within the Diocese of Ely. The previous Bishop of Peterborough was commissioned as Assistant Bishop in the Ely Diocese so he could exercise pastoral care in these parishes, which include Stanground, Orton, Woodston, Yaxley and Fletton."Bishops bridge boundaries aboard boat" Peterborough Telegraph 2 August 2004"Bishop Donald becomes Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Ely" on the Peterborough Diocese website Thorney, historically in the Isle of Ely and now within the boundaries of the Peterborough unitary authority area, is unaffected by this arrangement.Boundary Review Report No. 1: Dioceses of Peterborough and Ely The Dioceses Commission, January 2010
Bishops The Bishop of Peterborough (Debbie Sellin) leads the diocese, and is assisted by the Bishop suffragan of Brixworth (vacant). The suffragan see of Brixworth was created by Order in Council on 26 July 1988.
Alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Luke Irvine-Capel, Bishop suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there. There is also one former bishop, Ed Condry, living in the diocese who is licensed as honorary assistant bishop.
Territorial irregularities The diocese comprises the areas of Northamptonshire, Rutland and Peterborough with the following exceptions (clockwise from Stamford):
The areas of Wothorpe and St Martin's Without in Peterborough belong to the Diocese of Lincoln. The areas of North Side (to the south of Thorney), Stanground, Fletton, Woodston, Hampton and Orton in Peterborough belong to the Diocese of Ely. The areas of Stibbington, Water Newton and Washingley in Cambridgeshire belong to the Diocese of Peterborough. The eastern half of Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire belongs to the Diocese of Oxford. A small area at Brackley Hatch, between Syresham and Silverstone, is an exclave of the Diocese of Oxford. The area of Onley to the west of Barby in Northamptonshire belongs to the Diocese of Coventry. The areas of Stanford-on-Avon, Hothorpe and Little Oxendon in Northamptonshire belong to the Diocese of Leicester. The area of Holyoaks, south-west of Stoke Dry, in Leicestershire, belongs to the Diocese of Peterborough. The area of Carlby, and two small areas on the western edge of Stamford, in Lincolnshire, belong to the Diocese of Peterborough.
List of churches
Extra-parochial places
Althorp (population 26) Borough Fen (population 120) Canons Ashby (population 43): St Mary's Church, Canons Ashby (medieval, closed C20th) Leighfield (population 2) Mawsley (population 14) Minster Precincts (population 246): Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew, Peterborough (medieval) Salcey Forest (population 19) Undivided Land Between Badby and Newnham (population 8)
Archdeaconry of Northampton
Deanery of Brackley
Benefice of Astwell Parish of Helmdon with Stuchbury and Radstone (population 923) St Mary Magdalene's Church, Helmdon (medieval) St Lawrence's Church, Radstone (medieval, parishes merged 1971) St John's Church, Stuchbury (medieval, destroyed C16th, parishes merged 1560) Parish of Lois Weedon (population 327) SS Mary & Peter's Church, Weedon Lois (medieval) St John the Baptist's Church, Plumpton (medieval, parishes merged 1928, closed) Parish of Syresham (population 875): St James the Great's Church (medieval) Parish of Wappenham (population 355): St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) Parish of Whitfield (population 209): St John the Evangelist's Church (medieval) Benefice of Astwick Vale Parish of Aynho (population 643): St Michael's Church (medieval) Parish of Croughton (population 1,219): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Evenley (population 591): St George's Church (medieval, rebuilt 1864) Parish of Farthinghoe (population 339): St Michael & All Angels' Church (medieval) Parish of Hinton-In-The-Hedges with Steane (population 256) Most Holy Trinity Church, Hinton-in-the-Hedges (medieval) St Peter's Church, Steane (medieval, parishes merged C16th) Benefice and Parish of Brackley St Peter with St James (population 16,326) St Peter's Church, Brackley (medieval) Halse Mission Chapel (1900) St James's Church, Brackley (medieval, demolished 1836) St Mary's Chapel, Halse (medieval, closed c. C17th) Benefice of Chenderit Parish of Chacombe (population 693): SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) Parish of Greatworth (population 113): St Peter's Church (medieval) Parish of Marston St Lawrence (population 779): St Lawrence's Church (medieval) Parish of Middleton Cheney: All Saints (population 4,114): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Sulgrave (population 425): St James the Less's Church (medieval) Parish of Thenford (population 73): St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) Parish of Thorpe Mandeville (population 178): St John the Baptist's Church (medieval) Parish of Warkworth (population 256): St Mary's Church (medieval) Benefice of Culworth Parish of Chipping Warden (population 554): SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) Parish of Culworth (population 416): St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) Parish of Edgcote (population 69): St James's Church (medieval) Parish of Moreton Pinkney (population 367): St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) Benefice of Five Ways Parish of Aston-le-Walls (population 306): St Leonard's Church (medieval) Parish of Boddington (population 705): St John the Baptist's Church, Upper Boddington (medieval) Parish of Byfield (population 1,318): Holy Cross Church (medieval) Parish of Eydon (population 431): St Nicholas' Church (medieval) Parish of Woodford Halse (population 4,280): St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) Benefice of King's Sutton and Newbottle and Charlton Parish of King's Sutton (population 2,320) SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) St Rumbold's Chapel, Walton (medieval, closed C16th) Parish of Newbottle with Charlton (population 538): St James's Church, Newbottle (medieval)
Deanery of Brixworth
Benefice of Brixworth with Holcot Parish of Brixworth (population 5,756): All Saints' Church (Saxon) Parish of Holcot (population 425): St Mary & All Saints' Church (medieval) Benefice of Crick and Yelvertoft with Clay Coton and Lilbourne Parish of Crick (population 2,411): St Margaret of Antioch's Church (medieval) Parish of Lilbourne (population 451): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Yelvertoft with Clay Coton (population 910) All Saints' Church, Yelvertoft (medieval) St Andrew's Church, Clay Coton (medieval, closed 1950s, parishes merged 1972) Elkington Parish Church (medieval, closed C15th) Benefice of Faxton Parish of Arthingworth (population 237): St Andrew's Church (medieval) Parish of Draughton (population 71): St Catherine's Church (medieval) Parish of East Farndon (population 317): St John the Baptist's Church (medieval) Parish of Harrington (population 144): SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) Parish of Lamport with Faxton (population 244) All Saints' Church, Lamport (medieval) St Denis' Church, Faxton (medieval, closed 1939, demolished 1959) Parish of Maidwell (population 346) St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) St Peter's Church (medieval, demolished 1543) Parish of Oxendon (population 334): St Helen's Church, Great Oxendon (medieval) Benefice of Long Buckby with Watford and West Haddon with Winwick Parish of Long Buckby (population 4,463) St Lawrence's Church (medieval) Long Buckby Wharf Mission Church (1875, closed 1960s) Parish of Watford (population 347): SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) Parish of West Haddon (population 1,975): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Winwick (population 114): St Michael & All Angels' Church (medieval) Benefice of Naseby Parish of Clipston (population 696) All Saints' Church (medieval) Nobold Church (medieval, abandoned c. C16th) Parish of Haselbech (population 107): St Michael's Church (medieval) Parish of Kelmarsh (population 102): St Denys' Church (medieval) Parish of Marston Trussell (population 148): St Nicholas' Church (medieval) Parish of Naseby (population 780): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Sibbertoft (population 348): St Helen's Church (medieval) Parish of Welford (population 1,328) St Mary the Virgin's Church (medieval) St Botolph's Church, Sulby (medieval, abandoned c. 1400) Benefice of Pitsford with Boughton Parish of Boughton (population 2,303) St John the Baptist's New Church (medieval, formerly chapel) St John the Baptist's Old Church (medieval, ruined C18th) Parish of Pitsford (population 719): All Saints' Church (medieval) Benefice of Spencer Parish of Brington (population 486) St Mary's Church, Great Brington (medieval) St John's Church, Little Brington (1855, demolished except tower 1947) Parish of Church Brampton with Chapel Brampton (population 786) St Botolph's Church, Church Brampton (medieval) St Margaret's Chapel, Chapel Brampton (medieval, closed Middle Ages) Parish of East Haddon and Holdenby (population 786) St Mary the Virgin's Church, East Haddon (medieval) All Saints' Church, Holdenby (medieval, closed and parishes merged 1972) Parish of Harlestone (population 1,125): St Andrew's Church (medieval) Parish of Norton (population 373) All Saints' Church (medieval) St John the Baptist's Chapel, Thrupp (medieval, ruined C16th) Parish of Whilton (population 301): St Andrew's Church (medieval) Benefice of Uplands Parish of Cold Ashby (population 284): St Denys' Church (medieval) Parish of Cottesbrooke (population 131): All Saints' Church (medieval) Parish of Great Creaton (population 436): St Michael & All Angels' Church, Creaton (medieval) Parish of Guilsborough (population 740): St Etheldreda's Church (medieval) Parish of Hollowell (population 320): St James' Church (1840, parish church 1850) Parish of Ravensthorpe (population 717): St Denys' Church (medieval) Parish of Spratton (population 1,357): St Andrew's Church (medieval)