He attended the Council of Reims in 1148, where another relative, Robert de Chesney, was elected as Bishop of Hereford.

Bibliographers have frequently confused him with his predecessor as bishop, Robert of Melun, so he has mistakenly been given as the author of a number of documents.

Foliot was sent to the Council of Reims in 1148 by the Lincoln cathedral chapter to learn Pope Eugene III's wishes regarding the vacant bishopric, as Alexander had died in February 1148.

It is also unclear whether he owed this position to his relative Gilbert Foliot, who was bishop of Hereford from 1148 to 1163, or if he received the canonry after 1163 through royal influence.

[9] Foliot was elected to the see of Hereford in late April 1173 and consecrated on 6 October 1174[10] at Canterbury by Archbishop Richard of Dover.

[4] While bishop, he became involved in a dispute with Hugh Parvus, a local baron, over the power of appointment to two churches.

[14][15] He received over 40 surviving papal commissions and communications, some of which dealt with the problems of married clergy in his diocese.

[5] While bishop, Foliot gave books, altar furnishings, and land to his cathedral chapter, as well as a purple and gold cape to Wigmore Abbey.