Diocese of Blackburn

The diocese of Blackburn is diocese of the Church of England in North West England. Its boundaries correspond to northern Lancashire with the exception of the eastern part of the Forest of Bowland, which is part of the diocese of Leeds. The diocese contains 211 parishes and 280 churches. Blackburn Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Blackburn, currently Philip North, and the diocesan offices are also located in Blackburn.

What is now the diocese of Blackburn was historically part of the diocese of York. It became part of the newly-created diocese of Chester in 1541, and part of the diocese of Manchester when it was created in 1847. The diocese of Blackburn was in turn established on 12 November 1926 from the northern part of Manchester.

Bishops
Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Blackburn (Philip North), the diocese has two suffragan bishops: Jill Duff, Bishop suffragan of Lancaster, consecrated in 2018; and a Bishop suffragan of Burnley (vacant in 2023).


 * Since 1994, Michael Vickers, retired area Bishop of Colchester, has been licensed to serve as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese. He lives in Scotforth, Lancaster.
 * Cyril Ashton, a retired former Bishop suffragan of Doncaster has been licensed since his 2011 retirement to Lancaster.
 * Retired former archbishop of York David Hope lives in Hellifield, N. Yorks (in the neighbouring Diocese of Leeds) and is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Blackburn diocese.

There is no alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) in the diocese because the ordinary (Philip North) does not ordain women as priests.

Deanery of Accrington
Area Dean: the Revd Canon David Arnold


 * Christ Church, Accrington
 * St Andrew, Accrington
 * St Mary Magdalen, Accrington
 * St Peter, Accrington
 * St James, Accrington
 * St Paul, Accrington
 * St John the Evangelist, Accrington
 * St James, Altham
 * St John the Baptist, Baxenden
 * All Saints, Clayton-le-Moors
 * St Clement, Green Haworth
 * St James, Haslingden
 * St Augustine, Huncoat
 * St Peter, Laneside, Haslingden
 * St Thomas, Musbury, Haslingden
 * All Saints, Oswaldtwistle
 * Immanuel, Oswaldtwistle
 * St Paul, Oswaldtwistle

Deanery of Blackburn and Darwen
Area Dean: the Revd Canon Andrew Horsfall


 * Blackburn Cathedral
 * Christ Church, Blackburn
 * Holy Trinity, Blackburn
 * St Aidan, Mill Hill, Blackburn
 * St Andrew, Livesey, Blackburn
 * St Barnabas, Blackburn
 * St Bartholomew, Ewood, Blackburn
 * St Francis, Feniscliffe, Blackburn
 * St Gabriel, Brownhill Drive, Blackburn
 * St James, Blackburn
 * St Jude, Blackburn
 * St Luke, Blackburn
 * St Michael & All Angels, Blackburn
 * St Silas, Blackburn
 * St Stephen, Blackburn
 * Church of the Saviour, Blackburn
 * St Barnabas, Darwen
 * St Cuthbert, Darwen
 * St Mary, Grimehills, Darwen
 * St Peter, Darwen
 * Immanuel, Feniscowles
 * St Paul, Hoddlesden
 * St Oswald, Knuzden
 * St James, Lower Darwen
 * St James, Over Darwen
 * St Stephen, Tockholes

Deanery of Burnley
Area Dean: the Revd Munawar Din


 * St James, Briercliffe
 * All Saints, Habergham, Burnley
 * St Andrew, Burnley
 * St Catherine, Burnley
 * St Cuthbert, Burnley
 * St Mark, Burnley
 * St Matthew the Apostle, Habergham Eaves, Burnley
 * St Peter, Burnley
 * St Stephen, Burnley
 * Wellfield Mission, Burnley
 * St Margaret, Hapton
 * St John the Divine, Holme-in-Cliviger
 * St Leonard, Padiham
 * St John the Evangelist, Worsthorne

Deanery of Chorley
Area Dean: the Revd Neil Kelley


 * St Paul, Adlington
 * All Saints, Appley Bridge
 * St John the Baptist, Bretherton
 * St James, Brindle
 * Christ Church, Charnock Richard
 * All Saints, Chorley
 * St George, Chorley
 * St James, Chorley
 * St Laurence, Chorley
 * St Peter, Chorley
 * Clayton Brook Community Church
 * Coppull Parish Church
 * St John the Divine, Coppull
 * St Michael & All Angels, Croston
 * St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston
 * Euxton Parish Church
 * St Barnabas, Heapey
 * St Peter, Mawdesley
 * Christ Church, Parbold
 * St Anne, Shevington
 * St Wilfrid, Standish
 * St John the Evangelist, Whittle-le-Woods
 * St Paul, Withnell
 * St James the Great, Wrightington

Deanery of Leyland
Area Dean: the Revd Marc Wolverson


 * St Aidan, Bamber Bridge
 * Buckshaw Village Church (ecumenical)
 * St Saviour, Cuerden
 * St Paul, Farington Moss
 * All Saints, Hesketh
 * All Saints, Higher Walton
 * Holy Trinity, Hoghton
 * St Michael & All Angels, Hoole
 * St Ambrose, Leyland
 * St Andrew, Leyland
 * St James, Leyland
 * St John, Leyland
 * St Andrew, Longton
 * All Saints, New Longton
 * St James, Lostock Hall
 * St Leonard, Penwortham
 * St Mary, Penwortham
 * St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
 * Holy Trinity, Tarleton
 * St Leonard, Walton-le-Dale

Deanery of Pendle
Area Dean: the Revd Lesley Hinchcliffe


 * St Thomas, Barrowford
 * St Luke the Evangelist, Brierfield
 * St Bartholomew, Colne
 * Christ Church, Colne
 * Holy Trinity, Colne
 * St Anne, Fence-in-Pendle
 * St Michael & All Angels, Foulridge
 * St John the Evangelist, Higham
 * St Mary, Nelson
 * St John the Evangelist, Great Marsden, Nelson
 * St Paul, Little Marsden, Nelson
 * St Mary, Newchurch in Pendle
 * St Mary the Virgin, Trawden

Deanery of Whalley
Area Dean: the Revd Jonathan Carmylie


 * St Leonard, Balderstone
 * SS Peter & Paul, Bolton-by-Bowland
 * Christ Church, Chatburn
 * St Bartholomew, Chipping
 * St James, Clitheroe
 * St Mary Magdalene, Clitheroe
 * St Paul, Low Moor, Clitheroe
 * St Leonard, Downham
 * St Mary the Virgin, Gisburn
 * St Bartholomew, Great Harwood
 * All Hallows, Great Mitton
 * St Ambrose, Grindleton
 * St Nicholas, Heyhouses
 * St John the Evangelist, Hurst Green
 * St Leonard, Langho
 * St Mary, Mellor
 * All Saints, Pendleton
 * St John the Evangelist, Read
 * St Wilfrid, Ribchester
 * SS Peter & Paul, Rishton
 * St Peter, Salesbury
 * St Leonard the Less, Samlesbury
 * St Peter, Simonstone
 * St Saviour, Stydd
 * St Helen, Waddington
 * St Catherine, West Bradford
 * St Mary & All Saints, Whalley
 * St Michael, Whitewell

Deanery of Blackpool
Area Dean: the Revd Peter Lillicrap


 * All Saints, Anchorsholme
 * All Hallows, Bispham
 * Christ Church with All Saints (Beacon Church), Blackpool
 * Holy Cross, South Shore, Blackpool
 * Holy Trinity, South Shore, Blackpool
 * St Christopher, Hawes Side, Blackpool
 * St John, Blackpool
 * St Mark, Layton, Blackpool
 * St Mary, South Shore, Blackpool
 * St Paul, Marton, Blackpool
 * St Paul, North Shore, Blackpool
 * St Peter, South Shore, Blackpool
 * St Stephen-on-the-Cliffs, Blackpool
 * St Thomas, Blackpool
 * St Wilfrid (Freedom Church), Mereside, Blackpool
 * St Anne, Greenlands
 * St Luke's Mission Church, Staining

Deanery of Garstang
Area Dean: the Revd Andrew Wilkinson


 * All Saints, Barnacre
 * St Lawrence, Barton
 * St Hilda, Bilsborrow
 * St Eadmor, Bleasdale
 * Calder Vale Mission Church
 * St John the Evangelist, Calder Vale
 * St Helen, Churchtown
 * St Anne, Copp
 * St Mark, Eagland Hill
 * St Thomas, Garstang
 * St Mary the Virgin, Goosnargh
 * Blessed Virgin Mary, Hambleton
 * St Peter, Inskip
 * St John the Evangelist, Out Rawcliffe
 * St John the Baptist, Pilling
 * St Oswald, Preesall
 * St Michael, St Michael's on Wyre
 * St Peter, Scorton
 * St James, Stalmine
 * St James, Whitechapel
 * St Anne, Woodplumpton

Deanery of Kirkham
Area Dean: the Revd Anne Beverley


 * St Matthew, Ballam
 * St John the Evangelist, Clifton
 * Holy Trinity, Freckleton
 * St Michael, Kirkham
 * St Cuthbert, Lytham
 * St John the Divine, Lytham
 * St Anne, Lytham St Annes
 * St Margaret of Antioch, Lytham St Annes
 * St Paul, Ansdell & Fairhaven, Lytham St Annes
 * St Thomas, Lytham St Annes
 * Christ Church, Treales
 * St Paul, Warton
 * St Michael, Weeton
 * Christ Church, Wesham
 * St Nicholas, Wrea Green

Deanery of Lancaster and Morecambe
Area Dean: vacant


 * St Michael & All Angels, Cockerham
 * St Mark, Dolphinholme
 * St John the Evangelist, Ellel
 * St James, Forton
 * Christ Church, Glasson
 * St James, Heysham
 * St Peter, Heysham
 * Christ Church, Lancaster
 * St Chad, Skerton, Lancaster
 * St George, Marsh, Lancaster
 * St Luke, Skerton, Lancaster
 * St Mary the Virgin, Lancaster (Lancaster Priory)
 * St Thomas, Lancaster
 * Ascension, Torrisholme, Morecambe
 * Holy Trinity, Morecambe
 * St Barnabas, Morecambe
 * St Christopher, Bare, Morecambe
 * St John the Divine, Sandylands, Morecambe
 * St Martin of Tours, Westgate, Morecambe
 * Christ Church, Over Wyresdale
 * St Helen, Overton
 * St Peter, Quernmore
 * St Paul, Scotforth
 * Sunderland Point Mission Church
 * St Luke, Winmarleigh

Deanery of Poulton
Area Dean: the Revd Jane Atkinson


 * St Andrew, Cleveleys
 * St Nicholas, Fleetwood
 * St Peter, Fleetwood
 * St John the Evangelist, Little Thornton
 * St Chad's Church, Poulton-le-Fylde
 * St Hilda of Whitby, Poulton-le-Fylde
 * St Anne, Singleton
 * Christ Church, Thornton-le-Fylde

Deanery of Preston
Area Dean: the Revd David Hanson


 * St John the Baptist's Church, Broughton
 * St Michael, Grimsargh
 * St Lawrence, Longridge
 * St Paul, Longridge
 * All Saints, Preston
 * Ascension, Ribbleton, Preston
 * Christ Church, Fulwood, Preston
 * Christ the King Chapel, Preston
 * Emmanuel, Preston
 * St Andrew, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston
 * St Christopher, Lea, Preston
 * St Cuthbert, Preston
 * St George, Preston
 * St James, Preston
 * Minster of St John the Evangelist, Preston
 * St Margaret, Ingol, Preston
 * St Martin, Fulwood, Preston
 * St Mary Magdalene, Ribbleton, Preston
 * St Matthew, Preston
 * St Michael & All Angels, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston
 * St Peter, Fulwood, Preston
 * St Stephen, Preston

Deanery of Tunstall
Area Dean: vacant


 * St John the Baptist, Arkholme
 * St Saviour, Aughton
 * Holy Trinity, Bolton-le-Sands
 * St Mary, Borwick
 * St Paul, Brookhouse
 * Christ Church, Carnforth
 * St John the Evangelist, Gressingham
 * St Wilfrid, Halton
 * St Margaret, Hornby
 * St Peter, Leck
 * St Wilfrid, Melling
 * St Mark, Nether Kellet
 * St Cuthbert, Over Kellet
 * St John, Silverdale
 * St Luke, Slyne
 * St James the Less, Tatham
 * Good Shepherd, Tatham Fells
 * St John the Baptist, Tunstal
 * St Oswald, Warton
 * St Michael the Archangel, Whittington
 * Holy Trinity, Wray
 * St John the Evangelist, Yealand Conyers

Disused churches
This list is not exhaustive.
 * St Mark's, Blackburn
 * St John's, Great Harwood