The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral.
Geography and history
The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall, including the Isles of Scilly, as well as two parishes in neighbouring Devon (St Giles on the Heath and Virginstow). It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter. It is, therefore, one of the younger dioceses. The Christian faith, however, has been present in the region since at least the 4th century – more than 100 years before there was an Archbishop of Canterbury. Many of the communities in the diocese, as well as the parish churches, bear a Celtic saint's name, which is a reminder of the links with other Celtic lands, especially Ireland, Wales and Brittany.
The Diocese of Truro is involved directly and indirectly through its Board of Social Responsibility and in the life of its parishes in tackling some of the economic problems that Cornwall is wrestling with and works closely with statutory and voluntary agencies. There are 313 church buildings.
Bishops David Williams has been the diocesan Bishop of Truro since his confirmation on 28 March 2025; he was previously suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke, in the Diocese of Winchester.
Suffragan Bishop The suffragan Bishop of St Germans was created in 1905, and Hugh Nelson was the incumbent until he was translated to Worcester.
Provincial Episcopal Visitor The provincial episcopal visitor for conservative evangelical parishes in the diocese which do not accept the ordination of women priests (e.g., St Olaf's Church, Poughill), is the suffragan Bishop of Ebbsfleet. He is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his ministry. Traditionalist Anglo-Catholic parishes such as St George's Truro that reject the ordination of women receive alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Oswestry (currently Paul Thomas).
Other bishops in the Diocese At some periods there have also been assistant bishops, including John Wellington (formerly Bishop of Shantung) and Bill Lash, both retired from sees abroad.Brown, H. Miles (1976). A Century for Cornwall. Truro: Blackford
The most recent suffragan Bishop of Plymouth in the neighbouring Diocese of Exeter, John Ford, was also licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Truro diocese. A former Bishop of St Germans, Roy Screech, lives in St Austell.
Archdeaconries and deaneries DioceseArchdeaconriesRural DeaneriesPaid clergyChurchesPopulationPeople/clergyPeople/churchChurches/clergyDiocese of TruroArchdeaconry of Bodmin
(est. 1878)Brown, H. Miles (1976). A Century for Cornwall. Truro: Blackford; p. 26Deanery of Stratton22321,12010,56091811.5Deanery of Trigg Major52319,9323,9868674.6Deanery of Trigg Minor & Bodmin93443,0044,7781,2653.78Deanery of East Wivelshire53251,37010,2741,6056.4Deanery of West Wivelshire52332,7996,5601,4264.6Archdeaconry of CornwallDeanery of Carnmarth North7.252065,1968,9933,2602.76Deanery of Carnmarth South91338,7094,3012,9781.44Deanery of Kerrier52332,1046,4211,3964.6Deanery of Penwith122964,5555,3802,2262.42Deanery of Powder17.163951,7363,0151,3272.27Deanery of Pydar6.592148,8677,4152,3273.19Deanery of St Austell82565,8808,2352,6353.13Total/average91305535,2725,8821,7553.35
Rural deaneries The names of the older deaneries (before 1875) are based on those of the ancient Hundreds of Cornwall though the boundaries do not always correspond. East and West (Wivelshire) must have originally had a Cornish name but it is not recorded (Wivel may be from an Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Wifel').Thomas, Charles (1964) "Settlement History in Early Cornwall: I; the antiquity of the hundreds", in: Cornish Archaeology. 3. St Ives: Cornwall Archaeological Society, pp. 70–79
The deaneries created in 1875 in the episcopate of Frederick Temple were Bodmin, Stratton, St Austell and Carnmarth. These remained unchanged until Carnmarth was divided; later still in the 1980s some alterations of boundaries occurred. The need for smaller deaneries was caused by the economic growth of Victorian Cornwall, mainly in tin and copper mining, which increased the population and by a greater effort by the church to encourage church membership.Brown, H. Miles (1976) A Century for Cornwall; chap. 1: Anglican awakening. Truro: Blackford; pp. 1–21
Coat of arms
The arms of the diocese include a saltire gules on which are a crossed sword and key: below this is a fleur de lys sable, all surrounded by a border sable charged with 15 bezants. The saltire is the cross of St Patrick, taken to be the emblem of the Celtic church; the sword and key are emblems of St Peter the patron of Exeter Cathedral, and the fleur de lys represents St Mary, patron of the cathedral. The border is derived from the arms of the Duchy of Cornwall.Pascoe, W. H. (1979) A Cornish Armory. Padstow: Lodenek Press; pp. 136–37 They were designed by the College of Heralds in 1877 and are blazoned thus: "Argent, on a saltire gules, a key, ward upward, in bend, surmounted by a sword, hilt upward, in bend sinister, both or. In base, a fleur de lys sable. The whole within a bordure sable, fifteen bezants. Ensigned with a mitre."Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 33
21st century Campaign by Fry an Spyrys In 2003 a campaign group was formed called Fry an Spyrys ("Free the Spirit" in Cornish) which is dedicated to disestablishing the Church of England in Cornwall and to reconstituting the Diocese of Truro as an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion.Patrick Comerford Cornwall's Celtic Christianity Its most vociferous member is the founder, the Revd Andy Phillips, who also writes under the pen-name "An Bucca". Its chairman is Garry Tregidga of the Institute of Cornish Studies. Phillips states there has been constant speculation that the diocese might be merged back into the Diocese of Exeter for budgetary reasons.
The possibility of a merger was aired unofficially in March 2003, during debate surrounding the formulation of the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure, which would allow diocesan commissions to make proposals for the reorganisation of dioceses, including their dissolution. However, such a merger has yet to be proposed by any official body within the Church of England. When the possibility was raised by Fry an Spyrys in 2004 it was denied by a Church of England spokesman and also by representatives of the Truro and Exeter diocesesWestern Morning News, 10 February 2004. Since then the Diocese of Truro has shown some financial and administrative resilience. Diocesan reorganisation and the People of God campaign rallied human resources and led (by 2007) to a tight but stable financial situation. In 2007, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, chair of Parliament's Ecclesiastical Committee, reported to the House of Lords that there were no plans to abolish the Diocese of Truro and to merge it with the Diocese of Exeter.Press Association, 24 October 2007
Jeremy Dowling review A 2018 case review commissioned by the diocese reported that four bishops, Maurice Key, Peter Mumford, Michael Ball and Richard Llewellin, had failed to respond to disclosures of abuse by a leading diocesan figure.Jeremy Dowling review; final; 2018; Diocese of Truro The diocese had failed to investigate the accusations against Jeremy Dowling, a lay preacher and synod member, who rose to influential positions including communications officer to the bishop. Dowling was jailed in 2015 for seven years, and again in 2016 for a further eight years, for a series of indecent assaults on boys while teaching at a Cornish school during the 1960s and 1970s. Kim Stevenson, a criminal justice expert, said the report made "sadly familiar reading", and she contrasted the situation in Britain with that in Australia where those who concealed or did not act on evidence of a sexual offence faced prosecution.
List of churches in the diocese Grade I: buildings of exceptional interest. Grade II*: particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Grade II: buildings that are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them.
Last fully updated 26 September 2018.
Deanery of Stratton BeneficeChurchesLinkClergyPopulation servedRefBoscastle and Tintagel Group, The, Comprising Forrabury, Lesnewth, Otterham, St Juliot, Tintagel, and Trevalga St Julitta, St Juliot (II*) St Denis, Otterham (II*) St Michael & All Angels, Lesnewth (II*) St Symphorian, Forrabury (II*) St Merteriana, Minster (I) St Petroc, Trevalga (II*) St Materiana, Tintagel (I) St Piran, Trethevy (II) Priest-in-Charge: Heather Aston3,426Kilkhampton (St James the Great) with Morwenstow St James the Great, Kilkhampton (I) Priest-in-Charge/Rector: David Barnes NSM: Richard Ward-Smith10,713 SS Morwenna & John the Baptist, Morwenstow (I)North Kernow Benefice, The, Comprising Bude Haven, Launcells, Marhamchurch, and Stratton St Michael & All Angels, Bude (II) SS Swithin & Andrew, Launcells (I) St Marwenne, Marhamchurch (I) St Andrew, Stratton (I)Poughill (St Olaf King and Martyr) St Olaf King & Martyr, Poughill (I) Vicar: Vacant2,775Week St Mary Circle of Parishes (St Mary the Virgin) St Mary the Virgin, Week St Mary (I) St James, Jacobstow (I) St Gregory, Treneglos (II*) St Werburgh, Warbstow (II*) St Winwaloe, Poundstock (I) Our Lady & St Anne, Widemouth Bay St Gennys, St Gennys St Anne, Whitstone (I) Rector: Vacant4,206
Deanery of Trigg Major BeneficeChurchesLinkClergyPopulation servedRefBoyton (Holy Name), North Tamerton, Werrington, St Giles-In-The-Heath and Virginstow Holy Name, Boyton (II*) St Denis, North Tamerton (I) St Giles, St Giles-in-the-Heath (II) St Bridget, Virginstow (II) St Martin of Tours, Werrington (I) Rector: Vacant1,956Egloskerry (St Petrock and St Keri), North Petherwin, Tremaine, Tresmere and Trewen SS Petrock & Keri, Egloskerry (II) St Paternus, North Petherwin (I) St Winwalo, Tremaine (I) St Nicholas, Tresmere (II*) St Michael, Trewen (II*) Vicar: Geoffrey Pengelly1,629Launceston (St Mary Magdalene) (St Thomas the Apostle) (St Stephen) St Mary Magdalene, Launceston (I) St Stephen the Martyr, Launceston (II*) St Thomas the Apostle, Launceston (II*) Christ the Cornerstone, Tregadillett Team Rector: Vacant Curate: Teresa Folland Curate: Alison Hardy9,152Moorland Group, The, Comprising Altarnon, Davidstow, Laneast, and St Clether St Nonna, Altarnun (I) St David, Davidstow (II*) SS Sidwell & Gulval, Laneast (I) St Clederus, St Clether (II*) Rector: Deryn Roberts1,938Three Rivers, The, Comprising Lawhitton, Lewannick, Lezant, North Hill, and South Petherwin St Michael, Lawhitton (II*) St Martin, Lewannick (II*) St Briochus, Lezant (II*) St Torney, North Hill (I) St Paternus, South Petherwin (I) Curate: Heather West5,257
Deanery of Trigg Minor & Bodmin BeneficeChurchesLinkClergyPopulation servedRefBlisland (St Protus and St Hyacinth) with Temple, St Breward and Helland SS Protus & Hyacinth, Blisland (I) St Catherine, Temple (II*) St Helena, Helland (II*) St Breward, St Breward (I) Priest-in-Charge: David Seymour NSM: Stephen Williams3,152St Tudy (St Tudy) with St Mabyn and Michaelstow St Tudy, St Tudy (I) St Michael, Michaelstow (I) St Mabena, St Mabyn (I)Bodmin (St Petroc) Team Benefice, The, Including Cardynham, Lanhydrock, and Lanivet St Petroc, Bodmin (I) St Meubred, Cardinham (I) St Hydroc, Lanhydrock (I) Lanivet Parish Church (I) St Stephen, Nanstallon Team Rector: Paul Holley Team Vicar: Elaine Munday Team Vicar: Cynthia Clemow17,608Lanteglos By Camelford (St Julitta) with Advent St Julitta, Lanteglos-by-Camelford (I) Priest-in-Charge: Angela Cooper5,764 St Thomas of Canterbury, Camelford St Adwena, Advent (I)St Teath (St Teatha) St Tetha, St Teath (I)