The history of the diocese began in 995AD when Bishop Aldhun, having been forced to move the mortal remains of St Cuthbert from Chester le Street to Ripon, returned north and settled in Durham where the river Wear cut a deep route through the rock and provided a natural place of safety.
People of the north-east are proud of their history and feel a bond with the northern saints, Hild, Bede, Oswald, and Chad , as well as Aidan and Cuthbert. Bishops of Durham were major figures through the middle ages and beyond, and were known as Prince-Bishops because of their political as well as spiritual significance.
The diocese lies between the Tyne in the north, the Tees in the south, the Pennines in the west and the sea in the east. Roughly 1.5 million people live in the diocese which contains nearly 250 parishes. Of the 300 churches some are amongst the oldest in England (7 th century) while many were built in the industrial Victorian heyday of the region. The cathedral is one of the jewels of Europe.
Today the Bishop has around him some 250 clergy, 200 Readers and many others with authorised ministries. The mission of the Church remains as it always has been – to commend the Christian faith and to serve the communities of the diocese in the name of Christ. This task is conceived in this generation as ‘Growing the Kingdom’, through focussing on mission, learning discipleship, developing leadership, working collaboratively, and restoring the sacred centre.
This section of the website tells you about how the diocese is organised, how it seeks to fulfil its calling, and how it relates to ecumenical partners and to the world Church.
