Diocese of Hereford


The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England, and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales. The cathedral is Hereford Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Hereford. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and is part of the Province of Canterbury.

Bishops

The diocesan Bishop of Hereford was, until 2020, assisted by the Bishop suffragan of Ludlow — it has been announced that the suffragan See is not to be filled. The provincial episcopal visitor is the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
Three retired bishops are licensed as assistant bishops in the diocese:
As reported in the Church of England's Statistics for Mission 2018, published in October 2019, the diocese had a population of 331,000, fewer than any other except Sodor and Man. With 402 churches, the population per church was 820, the lowest of any diocese and less than 60% of the 1420 in the next lowest, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Average weekly church attendance was 8,700, a new low, down from 9,300 in 2017. The total worshipping community was estimated at 13,300, up from 11,700 in 2014, and 44% of these were aged over 70 years.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

The following deanery mergers have taken place:
  • Kington and Weobley before 1972
  • Ross and Archenfield before 1979
*including Cathedral

Churches

Extra-parochial areas

Deanery of Abbeydore

BeneficeChurchesLinkClergyPopulation servedRef

  • St Michael, Edwyn Ralph
  • St Guthlac, Little Cowarne
  • St John, Pencombe
  • St Anna, Thornbury
  • St Luke, Ullingswick
  • Rector: Elizabeth Sidwell
    		• 1,526
    Bromyard and Stoke Lacy
  • St Peter, Bromyard
  • Brockhampton Chapel
  • St Peter & St Paul, Stoke Lacy
  • Vicar: Phillip Miller
  • Curate: David Hall
  • Licensed Lay Minister Michael Wild
    		• 5,268
    Edvin Loach with Tedstone Delamere, Tedstone Wafer, Upper Sapey, Wolferlow and Whitbourne
  • St Mary, Edvin Loach
  • St James, Tedstone Delamere
  • St Michael, Upper Sapey
  • St John the Baptist, Whitbourne
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
  • NSM: Dawn Hyett
    		• 1,412
    Frome Valley Group of Parishes, The, Comprising Acton Beauchamp, Bishops Frome, Castle Frome and Fromes Hill, Evesbatch, Much Cowarne, Ocle Pychard, and Stanford Bishop
  • St Giles, Acton Beauchamp
  • St Mary the Virgin, Bishop's Frome
  • St Michael, Castle Frome
  • St Matthew, Fromes Hill
  • St Andrew, Evesbatch
  • St Mary the Virgin, Much Cowarne
  • St James the Great, Ocle Pychard
  • St James, Stanford Bishop
  • Vicar: Steven Baggs
  • NSM: Richard Allaway
    		• 2,259

    Deanery of Hereford

    Deanery of Kington and Weobley

    Closed churches in the area

    Deanery of Ledbury

    Deanery of Leominster http://www.leominsterdeanerysynod.org.uk/

    Deanery of Ross and Archenfield

    Deanery of Bridgnorth

    Deanery of Clun Forest

    Deanery of Condover

    Deanery of Ludlow

    Deanery of Pontesbury

    Deanery of Telford Severn Gorge

    Dedications

    Medieval churches

    • All Saints: Clehonger
    • St Andrew: Allensmore, Bredwardine
    • St Bartholomew: Thruxton, Vowchurch
    • St Beuno: Llanveynoe
    • St Clydog: Clodock
    • St David: Kilpeck
    • St Dubricius: St Devereux
    • St Faith: Bacton, Dorstone
    • St James: Llangua
    • St Kew: Llangua
    • St Lawrence: Preston-on-Wye
    • St Leonard: Blakemere
    • St Margaret: St Margaret's
    • St Mary: Clifford, Craswall, Cusop, Kentchurch, Tyberton, Walterstone
    • SS Mary & Ethelbert: Hereford Cathedral
    • St Mary Magdalene: Brobury, Turnastone
    • St Michael: Dulas, Eaton Bishop, Ewyas Harold, Kingstone, Michaelchurch Escley, Moccas
    • Nativity of Mary: Madley
    • St Peter: Longtown, Peterchurch, Rowlestone, Wormbridge
    • St Tysilio: Llancillo

      Post-medieval churches

    • St John the Baptist: Newton
    • St Mary: Abbeydore
    • Holy Trinity: Hardwicke
    • No dedication: Cockyard

      Benefices by population

    Deaneries by population