Diocese of Canterbury

The Diocese of Canterbury is that part of the English county of Kent lying to the east of the River Medway but including all of urban Maidstone and excluding the Medway towns from Rainham westwards.

The governance of the Diocese is in the hands of the Bishop of Dover who acts, effectively, as Diocesan bishop with fully delegated powers from the Archbishop of Canterbury when acting in that capacity he is referred to as the Bishop in Canterbury.

There is second suffragan see of Maidstone and the bishop of Richborough, a Provincial Episcopal Visitor, is also regarded as a suffragan of the diocese. The two Archdeaconries are of Canterbury and Maidstone. There are 16 Deaneries, a parish number of 264. The number of benefices is far smaller as one rural benefice may group of 4 or more parishes under a single stipendiary minister. There are 101 Anglican Primary Schools and four Anglican Secondary Schools.

The administrative offices of the Diocese are at Diocesan House, in Canterbury, opened in 1955. The basement chapel of 'DH' is at Roman street level and dedicated to the Saints of Canterbury.