James Atwell


The Very Reverend James Edgar Atwell, MA, BD is a retired priest and former Dean of Winchester. He was educated at Dauntsey's and Exeter College, Oxford. He went to theological college at Cuddesdon and was ordained in 1971. He began his ordained ministry with a curacy at St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich after which he was curate at Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge and Chaplain at Jesus College, Cambridge. He has a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Divinity.
From Cambridge he became Vicar of St Lawrence, Towcester and then Provost of St Edmundsbury Cathedral before becoming Dean of St Edmundsbury on 19 November 2000. Having received Letters Patent from Elizabeth II, he was installed in Winchester Cathedral at a service on Lady day, 25 March 2006.
On 12 February 2016, it was announced that James was to retire as Dean of Winchester effective 14 July.