The Foundations of the Church in England
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Theodore of Tarsus became Archbishop of Canterbury in 668. He inherited a Church with seven huge dioceses each serving one of the principal Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. To bring order and structure to the English Church he created smaller dioceses.
St Luke, from the Gospel Book of St Augustine
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In 673 he divided the East Anglian see with bishops based at Felixstowe and Elmham.
North Elmham, the site of the 10th century Cathedral of East Anglia
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Although his overall plans did not come to full fruition in his lifetime, he had laid good foundations. By 1066 there were fifteen dioceses. Norfolk and Suffolk, however, were once again a single diocese based on North Elmham
Stones from North Elmham provide a link with the first Bishop’s Throne
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| A fragment from the decrees of a Council of Bishops held at Clofesho in 747 |
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