Church of England parishes and benefices

In centuries past, each parish in England would have had its own incumbent (the vicar or rector in charge of the parish), but more recently reductions in church attendance and income have forced many parishes to work together under a single incumbent as a multi-parish benefice. In 1960 17% of parishes in England were part of a multi-parish benefice, whereas (as of 2019) it is 62%. (One source claims the number was 71% in 2011, but I don't know how they got that number. My figures won't include parishes in which the church has been closed completely, but they don't count as part of any benefice so can't affect that number.) Many rural areas have benefices with over a dozen parishes and churches, and each year more are amalgamated to form larger benefices usually under a single priest, perhaps with a curate (newly-ordained training priest) or occasionally other clergy.

Using the data from achurchnearyou (as of 2019), use the links below to find the total number of benefices, parishes and (Anglican) churches in a given diocese/archdeaconry/deanery/benefice, but also the benefices with the most churches.

To use the site, click on a diocese to list the archdeaconries into which it is divided. Archdeaconries are in turn divided into deaneries, which consist of benefices, which consist of parishes. Many parishes now have more than one Anglican church. (There are a couple of instances of single parishes in London with two benefices, but otherwise it's a strict hierarchy.) On any page the second table lists the benefices with the most churches for the restrictions you've selected so far and selecting a benefice will list the parishes within that benefice.

The Church of England's 'Diocese in Europe' is included for completeness, but its benefices are unusual in that they can span multiple European countries and of course have no 'parish', so can be ignored for the purposes of looking at multi-parish benefices.

 

 

DioceseArchdeaconriesDeaneriesBeneficesParishesChurches
Bath & Wells318174460554
Birmingham26138148178
Blackburn214168226271
Bristol2797166199
Canterbury31699202312
Carlisle311102227320
Chelmsford723302463573
Chester218212264333
Chichester421274349472
Coventry211123201236
Derby38135253309
Durham314167206255
Ely215141303323
Europe7171919218
Exeter421146478589
Gloucester2989294375
Guildford212138157210
Hereford21376337398
Leeds524263438573
Leicester210102244309
Lichfield427230420538
Lincoln322179474617
Liverpool414124167229
London621406413464
Manchester47172254305
Newcastle212122169234
Norwich320156545635
Oxford429282606806
Peterborough212126347375
Portsmouth37101129164
Rochester317170210257
Salisbury521130425605
Sheffield212137167206
Sodor and Man14111536
Southwark625263297353
Southwell & Nottingham29147225294
St.Albans320186337400
St.Edmundsbury & Ipswich316110442477
Truro21289211295
Winchester213127240348
Worcester2682165270
York321227438571
Totals13163565421213115486

 

63.6% of parishes are part of multi-parish benefices

 

Benefices with the most churches

BeneficeChurches
Wigan32
Bolingbroke Deanery30
France27
Gibraltar26
Jersey24
South Cotswold Team Ministry22
Leominster22
North West Europe22
Launditch and The Upper Nar19
Wilford Peninsula18
Guernsey18
South Western France18
Chagford, Gidleigh, Throwleigh, Drewsteignton, South Tawton, Spreyton, Hittisleigh, North Tawton, Bondleigh, Honeychurch, Sampford Courtenay, Moretonhampstead, Manaton, North Bovey and Lustleigh17
Three Valleys17
The Nordic and Baltic States17
The Aylsham and District Team Ministry16
The Forest Heath Team Ministry16
Nadder Valley (Team Ministry)16
Vale of Pewsey16
Eastern16

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