THE next Bishop of Durham was named yesterday as the Very Reverend Justin Welby, currently the Dean of Liverpool.

The 55-year-old former oil worker will succeed Dr Tom Wright, who left Durham after seven years as bishop last August.

Church leaders hope he will be enthroned before Christmas.

Following an official announcement from Downing Street yesterday, the Bishop Designate went on a tour of the Durham diocese, visiting a children’s project in Bensham, Gateshead; Durham Cathedral; St Aidan’s Church of England Academy, in Darlington; and St Mary’s Mission Church, in Woodland, Teesdale, known as the “Tin Tabernacle”.

Dr Welby said his appointment was a “huge privilege”

and said he felt a mixture of “exhilarated with anticipation”

and “pretty terrified”.

He had been given “one of the best jobs going, anywhere”.

The father-of-five, who studied theology in Durham in the early Nineties, said his first priority was to work with clergy to enable the diocese to grow in life, spiritual depth and numbers; and his second priority was to be an advocate for the North-East.

Dr Welby insisted he was not disappointed he would be the first bishop in centuries not to live in Auckland Castle but added he would be “very, very disappointed” if it did not remain the diocese headquarters.

It was key that the castle and Zurbaran paintings were there for the people of the region, he said.

The Bishop Designate also said he would campaign for the Lindisfarne Gospels to be returned to the North-East from the British Library.

He said: “Coming here means being part of a remarkable community of extraordinary people grounded in history but always moving forwards.

“Because of the heritage and the strength of the area, to be a good Bishop here is about as challenging as it gets.”

Mark Bryant, the Bishop of Jarrow, said he was delighted at the announcement and very much looking forward to working with Dr Welby again, the two having been together at Coventry Cathedral.

Michael Sadgrove, the Dean of Durham, said Dr Welby would bring many gifts to the diocese and region and he was greatly looking forward to the new chapter in the life of the diocese.