The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enlarged version of Hampshire. Territory The area of the diocese is an area of eastern Dorset, and modern Hampshire, including the city of Southampton, with four exceptions: the south-eastern quarter of the county (which together with the Isle of Wight constitutes the Diocese of Portsmouth) an area in the north-east (in the Diocese of Guildford) a small area in the west (in the Diocese of Salisbury) one parish in the north (in the Diocese of Oxford) The diocese historically covered a much larger area, see below. In the most recent major revision in 1927, the Archdeaconry of Surrey was removed to form the new Diocese of Guildford, and south-eastern Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were removed to form the Diocese of Portsmouth. The Bishop of Winchester is ex officio a Lord Spiritual of the Westminster Parliament, one of five clerics (specifically certain prelates) of the Church of England with such automatic entitlement. The bishop is also Prelate of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, that office having been held by every Bishop of Winchester since the order was created. Bishops The Bishop of Winchester heads the diocese and is assisted by two suffragan bishops, the bishops of Southampton (Debbie Sellin) and of Basingstoke (David Williams), who are informally responsible for the north and south of the diocese respectively (roughly corresponding to the archdeaconries of Winchester and Bournemouth). From 1927 until the suffragan See of Basingstoke was created in 1973, the Bishop of Southampton was the suffragan bishop for the whole diocese. There had previously also been suffragan sees of Guildford (1874–1927) and of Dorking (1905–1909). Other bishops living in the diocese are licensed as honorary assistant bishops: 2009–present: Christopher Herbert, retired diocesan Bishop of St Albans, lives outside the diocese, in Wrecclesham, Surrey. 2012–present: Timothy Bavin, oblate master at Alton Abbey, is a retired Bishop of Portsmouth who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in both Winchester (in which diocese the abbey lies) and Portsmouth dioceses. Alternative episcopal oversight for parishes in the diocese which do not accept the sacramental ministry of women priests is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Norman Banks,