Bishop's historic move

Bishop John Packer and his wife Barbara have moved to a new home in Leeds.   

The new See House, Hollin House in Weetwood Avenue, Leeds 16, was bought and renovated by the Church Commissioners and will enable Bishop Packer and his successors to live in Leeds close to the two-thirds of the population of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds who live there.  

The bishop can now be contacted at Hollin House,  Weetwood Avenue, Leeds LS16 5NG. His office phone number is 0113 224 2789.   

The move completes the policy affirmed six years ago by Bishop’s Council whereby the diocesan bishop lives in Leeds, as the largest community in the diocese with nearly two thirds of the  population of the diocesan area. As part of the same policy, the Bishop of Knaresborough now lives in Exelby in the north of the diocese.  

Bishop John said, “We leave Bishop Mount with regret, for it has been a good home for bishops since the second world war, and with clarity that this is the right move for the whole mission of the Church of England throughout the diocese.  Hollin House will also save money for the church, as well as being more environmentally friendly.  Bishop James and I both continue to work in the whole diocese, north and south, and look forward to that development of our ministry among you.” 

Despite the move, Bishop Packer will continue to exercise his Episcopal ministry throughout the length and breadth of the diocese which covers 1359 square miles from south Leeds to the south-western tip of County Durham. “Bishop James Bell, the Bishop of Knaresborough and I are both bishops for the whole diocese and shall both minister in both archdeaconries. Confirmations and licensings, for example, will be divided between us over the whole diocese and both of us are available to all clergy and parishes.” 

The historic decision to leave Ripon was announced as long ago as July 2004, following agreement by Bishop’s Council and a strategic review by the Church Commissioners who own all ‘See houses’ (the homes for the 43 diocesan bishops of the Church of England).    Following the purchase of Hollin House by the Church Commissioners, planning approval was granted in early 2007 for outbuildings to be converted into office space. Structural work to the property has also included measures to provide for two small colonies of bats, a discovery which delayed the move. A bat run has been created in the roof space of the outbuilding, known as the Coach House, where a colony of brown long-eared bats were found.  

As well as converting the Coach House into office space, a linking structure has been built with the main house which will include a kitchen and a small chapel.