His resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II, who in turn appointed Abbot Ambrose Griffiths as eleventh Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.
He received episcopal consecration in St. Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 20 March 1992, the feast of Saint Cuthbert, co-patron of the diocese.
He implemented a number of changes to the structure of the diocese in order to ease transition to a new model of administration, and these measures included appointing new vicars general to assist the bishop.
When he reached the age limit for bishops of 75 years, prescribed in the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Rite branch of the Catholic Church, he submitted his resignation to John Paul II.
After retiring, he moved to St Mary's parish in Leyland, Preston, Lancashire and continued in his work as a member of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.