Bishop Anthony Priddis, who replaces Right Reverend John Oliver, will take up his new post in March.

The 55-year-old father-of-three was appointed after the Church of England externally advertised a vacant bishop's position for the first time in its 470-year history.

He is married to Kathy and is currently the Bishop of Warwick.

Bishop Anthony, who is a trained biochemist, spent most of his career in Oxford Diocese and was made an honorary canon of Oxford Cathedral in 1995.

A year later he was consecrated as Bishop of Warwick in the Coventry Diocese.

Bishop Anthony said: "I am really looking forward to moving to Hereford and staying within the West Midlands.

"It's the heart of the countryside, a rural landscape the Church already serves well.

"Kathy and I are greatly looking forward to exploring the diocese and learning more about it."

The Diocese of Hereford was founded in 676 and covers the whole of the county of Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes in Worcestershire, Powys and Monmouthshire.