The diocese covered the area of the City of Bradford, Craven district, the former Sedbergh Rural District now in Cumbria and the parts of the Lancashire boroughs of Pendle and Ribble Valley that are within Yorkshire's historic boundaries.

Immediately prior to its dissolution, alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of priests who are women) was provided by the provincial episcopal visitor (PEV) the Bishop suffragan of Beverley (then Glyn Webster.)

He was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.

Besides Webster, there were two retired honorary assistant bishops licensed in the diocese: On 2 March 2013, the diocesan synod voted in favour of proposals to abolish the diocese in order to create a larger Leeds diocese;[3] the proposal was approved on 8 July 2013 by the General Synod.

[4] The merger came into force on 20 April 2014, at which point the Bradford, Ripon and Leeds and Wakefield dioceses merged.