The Archdeacon of Durham is a senior ecclesiastical officer of the diocese of Durham (Church of England). She or he has, within the geographical area the archdeaconry of Durham, pastoral oversight of clergy and care of church buildings (among other responsibilities).
History
The first archdeacons in the diocese occur after the Norman Conquest – around the same time the post of archdeacon first started to occur elsewhere in England. There is no evidence of more than one archdeacon in the diocese until the mid-12th century, when two lines of office holders start to appear in sources. The titles "Archdeacon of Durham" and "Archdeacon of Northumberland" are not recorded until later in the century, although it is possible to discern which of the two lines became which post. Here are listed the sole archdeacons of Durham diocese, then those of the senior of two unnamed lines, then all those called Archdeacon of Durham.
The archdeaconry has been split twice: once on 23 May 1882, to create the Auckland archdeaconry after the Diocese of Newcastle was created from the diocese's other two archdeaconries and a second time in 1997, to create the Sunderland archdeaconry.