Diocese of Salisbury


The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England, within the ecclesiastical Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the historic county of Dorset, most of Wiltshire, and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. The diocese is led by Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury, and by the diocesan synod. The bishop's seat is at Salisbury Cathedral.

History

Catholic

The Diocese of Sherborne was the origin of the present diocese; St Aldhelm was its first Bishop of Sherborne. The Diocese of Ramsbury was created from the northwestern territory of the Bishop of Winchester in 909.
Herman of Wilton was appointed bishop of Ramsbury, covering Wiltshire and Berkshire, by Edward the Confessor in 1045. In or after 1059 he was also appointed Sherborne, covering Dorset, uniting the two dioceses. In 1075 he obtained approval to move the see to Old Sarum. Disputes between the bishops Herbert and Richard Poore and the sheriffs of Wiltshire led to the removal of the see in the 1220s to a new site. This was chartered as the city of New Sarum by in 1227, but it was not until the 14th century that the office was described as the Bishop of Sarum. The diocese, like the city, is now known as Salisbury. The archdeaconry around Salisbury, however, retains the name of Sarum.

Anglican

Reforms within the Church of England led to the annexation of Dorset from the abolished diocese of Bristol in 1836; Berkshire, however, was removed the same year and given to Oxford.
In 1925 and 1974, new suffragan bishops were appointed to assist the Bishop of Salisbury; the new offices were titled the bishops of Sherborne and Ramsbury, respectively. Until 2009 the bishops operated under an episcopal area scheme established in 1981, with each suffragan bishop having a formal geographical area of responsibility, and being known as "area bishops". The Bishop of Ramsbury had oversight of the diocese's parishes in Wiltshire, while the Bishop of Sherborne had oversight of the diocese's parishes in Dorset. This scheme was replaced to reflect the increased working across the whole diocese by all three bishops; the two suffragans may now legally function anywhere in the diocese, and the Bishop of Salisbury may delegate any of his functions to them.
The diocese is also divided into four archdeaconries, two for each county. These are further subdivided into deaneries and parishes. Changes were made to the allocation of parishes to deaneries in 1951.
In 2022, the deaneries of Guernsey and Jersey were transferred to the diocese from Winchester, in accordance with the Channel Islands Measure 2020.

Bishops

The diocesan Bishop of Salisbury is assisted across the diocese by two suffragans – the Bishop of Sherborne and the Bishop of Ramsbury. The provincial episcopal visitor, for traditional Anglo-Catholic parishes in this diocese who have petitioned for alternative episcopal oversight is Paul Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Oswestry.
There are several former bishops licensed as honorary assistant bishops in the diocese:
The Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship, including the Mass and the Divine Office. It was established by Saint Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury in the 11th century and was originally the local form used in the Cathedral and Diocese of Salisbury; it later became prevalent throughout southern England and came to be used throughout most of England, Wales, Ireland and later Scotland until the reign of Queen Mary. Although abandoned after the 16th century, it was also a notable influence on the pattern of Anglican liturgy represented in the Book of Common Prayer. Occasional interest in and attempts at restoration of the liturgy by Anglicans and Catholics have not produced a general revival, however.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

There are twenty-one deaneries within the diocese.

Not in a deanery

  • Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Salisbury

    Deanery of Alderbury

  • Clarendon Churches
  • * Alderbury: St Mary the Virgin
  • * East Grimstead: Holy Trinity
  • * Farley: All Saints
  • * Pitton: St Peter
  • * West Dean: St Mary the Virgin
  • * West Grimstead: St John
  • * Whiteparish: All Saints
  • * Winterslow: All Saints
  • * Winterslow: St John the Baptist
  • Bourne Valley Churches
  • * Boscombe: St Andrew
  • * Cholderton: St Nicholas
  • * Newton Tony: St Andrew
  • * Porton: St Nicholas
  • * Winterbourne Earls: St Michael & All Angels
  • * Winterbourne Gunner: St Mary
  • Forest and Avon Team
  • * Bramshaw: St Peter
  • * Downton: St Laurence
  • * Landford: St Andrew
  • * Morgan's Vale: St Birinus
  • * Plaitford: St Peter
  • * Redlynch: St Mary

    Deanery of Blackmore Vale

  • Hazelbury Bryan and the Hillside Parishes
  • * Belchalwell: St Aldhelm
  • * Fifehead Neville: All Saints
  • * Hazelbury Bryan: St Mary & St James
  • * Ibberton: St Eustace
  • * Mappowder: St Peter & St Paul
  • * Woolland Parish Church
  • Stour Vale Churches
  • * Buckhorn Weston: St John the Baptist
  • * East Stour: Christ Church
  • * Fifehead Magdalen: St Mary Magdalene
  • * Kington Magna: All Saints
  • * Stour Provost: St Michael & All Angels
  • * Todber: St Andrew
  • * West Stour: St Mary
  • Okeford Benefice
  • * Childe Okeford: St Nicholas
  • * Hammoon: St Paul
  • * Manston: St Nicholas
  • * Okeford Fitzpaine: St Andrew
  • * Shillingstone: Holy Rood
  • Shaftesbury Team
  • * Compton Abbas: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Enmore Green: St John the Evangelist
  • * Margaret Marsh: St Margaret
  • * Melbury Abbas: St Thomas
  • * Motcombe: St Mary
  • * Shaftesbury: St James
  • * Shaftesbury: St Peter
  • * West Orchard: St Luke
  • Gillingham etc
  • * Gillingham: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Langham: St George
  • * Milton-on-Stour: St Simon & St Jude
  • * Silton: St Nicholas
  • Sturminster Newton etc
  • * Hinton St Mary: St Peter
  • * Lydlinch: St Thomas a Beckett
  • * Sturminster Newton: St Mary
  • Marnhull
  • * Marnhull: St Gregory
  • Spire Hill
  • * Purse Caundle: St Peter
  • * Stalbridge: St Mary
  • * Stock Gaylard: St Barnabas
  • * Stourton Caundle: St Peter
  • * King's Stag Memorial Chapel

    Deanery of Bradford

  • Atworth with Shaw and Whitley
  • * Atworth: St Michael & All Angels
  • * Shaw: Christ Church
  • North Bradford on Avon and Villages
  • * Bradford-on-Avon: Christ Church
  • * Monkton Farleigh: St Peter
  • * South Wraxall: St James
  • * Winsley: St Nicholas
  • Bradford Trinity, Westwood and Wingfield
  • * Bradford-on-Avon: Holy Trinity
  • * Westwood: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Wingfield: St Mary
  • Faith in Our Village
  • * Broughton Gifford: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Great Chalfield: All Saints
  • * Holt: St Katharine
  • Canalside Parishes
  • * Hilperton Marsh: St Mary Magdalene
  • * Hilperton: St Michael & All Angels
  • * Semington: St George
  • * Whaddon: St Mary the Virgin
  • Melksham Team
  • * Melksham: St Andrew
  • * Melksham: St Barnabas
  • * Melksham: St Michael & All Angels
  • Three in One Benefice
  • * North Bradley: St Nicholas
  • * Southwick: St Thomas
  • * Steeple Ashton: St Mary the Virgin
  • Studley
  • * Studley: St John the Evangelist
  • Trowbridge St James
  • * Trowbridge: St James
  • * Keevil: St Leonard
  • Trowbridge St Thomas
  • * Trowbridge: St Thomas the Apostle
  • * Trowbridge: Holy Trinity
  • * West Ashton: St John the Evangelist
  • * Kingfisher Church, Castle Mead

    Deanery of Calne

  • Marden Vale Team
  • * Blackland: St Peter
  • * Bremhill: St Martin
  • * Calne: Holy Trinity
  • * Calne: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Derry Hill: Christ Church
  • * Foxham: St John the Baptist
  • Lyneham and Woodhill
  • * Bradenstoke: St Mary
  • * Broad Town: Christ Church
  • * Clyffe Pypard: St Peter
  • * Hilmarton: St Lawrence
  • * Lyneham: St Michael
  • * Tockenham: St Giles
  • Oldbury Benefice
  • * Calstone Wellington: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Cherhill: St James the Great
  • * Compton Bassett: St Swithin
  • * Heddington: St Andrew
  • * Yatesbury: All Saints
  • Royal Wootton Bassett
  • * Wootton Bassett: St Bartholomew & All Saints

    Deanery of Chalke

  • Chalke Valley Churches
  • * Alvediston: St Mary
  • * Berwick St John: St John the Baptist
  • * Bishopstone: St John the Baptist
  • * Bowerchalke: Holy Trinity
  • * Britford: St Peter
  • * Broad Chalke: All Saints
  • * Charlton All Saints: All Saints
  • * Coombe Bisset: St Michael & All Angels
  • * Ebbesbourne Wake: St John the Baptist
  • * Fifield Bavant: St Martin
  • * Homington: St Mary the Virgin
  • * Nunton: St Andrew
  • * Odstock: St Mary
  • Nadder Valley Churches
  • * Ansty: St James
  • * Barford St Martin: St Martin
  • * Baverstock: St Editha
  • * Chicklade: All Saints
  • * Chilmark: St Margaret of Antioch
  • * Compton Chamberlayne: St Michael
  • * Dinton: St Mary
  • * Fonthill Bishop: All Saints
  • * Fonthill Gifford: Holy Trinity
  • * Fovant: St George
  • * Hindon: St John the Baptist
  • * Sutton Mandeville: All Saints
  • * Swallowcliffe: St Peter
  • * Teffont Evias: St Michael
  • * Teffont Magna: St Edward the Martyr
  • * Tisbury: St John the Baptist
  • West Downland Churches
  • * Damerham: St George
  • * Martin: All Saints
  • * Rockbourne: St Andrew
  • * Whitsbury: St Leonard
  • St Bartholomew Benefice
  • * Charlton: St John the Baptist
  • * Donhead St Andrew: St Andrew
  • * Donhead St Mary: St Mary the Virgin
  • * East Knoyle: St Mary
  • * Sedgehill: St Catherine
  • * Semley: St Leonard
  • Wilton Parish
  • * Fugglestone: St Peter
  • * Netherhampton: St Catherine
  • * Wilton: St Mary & St Nicholas