The Diocese of Chichester almost exactly covers the counties of East and West Sussex and the City of Brighton and Hove, stretching for nearly a hundred miles (160km) along the south coast of England.
It was founded in 681 by St Wilfrid who converted the Kingdom of the South Saxons and established the first cathedral (a building which no longer exists) at Selsey.
Following the Norman Conquest, cathedrals located in out-of-the way places were transferred to greater centres of population, and so in 1075, building began on a new cathedral in Chichester, using stone from the Isle of Wight. The Cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1108. Chichester Cathedral has its own website which can be reached by clicking here.
Bishop Martin is the 77th Bishop of Chichester and 103rd Bishop of the diocese. The coat of arms first used by bishops of the diocese first appeared in the thirteenth century.
Today the diocese comprises 506 churches in 365 parishes, grouped into 286 benefices.
Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School | Hosted by New Era Technology | DB Primary | DB Learning Library