Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
Quinquennial Inspection Report
Date
Church Name
Address
Insert image of church exterior
Section B - Page 1
Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
Section A
1
Basic Particulars
1.1
Name of Church:
1.2
Address:
1.3
Diocese:
1.4
Archdeaconry:
1.5
Deanery:
1.6
Parish:
1.7
Local Authority:
1.8
Conservation Area:
1.9
Listed Building:
1.10
Type of Property:
1.11
Name of Inspector:
1.12
Address:
1.13
Telephone No:
1.14
Report No:
1.15
Date of Report:
1.16
Date(s) of Inspection
1.17
Weather conditions on the day(s) of inspection
1.18
Date of Previous Report:
1.19
Previous Inspection By:
1.20
Date Next Inspection Due:
1.21
Copies Issued to:
PCC
2 copies
DAC 1 hard copy, 1 electronic copy
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
The Diocese of Sheffield leaves the fee for a Quinquennial Inspection to be negotiated
between the Inspector and the parish. This should be agreed in advance of the inspection.
2
Site Particulars
2.1
Site Area
2.2
Burial Ground/Churchyard
2.3
Access to Site
2.4
Parking Facilities Available
2.5
Rights or Easements
3
Premises Particulars
3.1
Age of the Building
3.2
Brief Description of the Building
3.3
Size of the Building
3.4
Number of Storeys
3.5
Accommodation
3.6
Suitability for Persons with Disabilities
.
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
Section B
Limitation of the Survey and Report
4.1
The report is based on the findings of an inspection made from ground level, floor levels,
ladders, and other readily accessible positions. Unless otherwise stated the inspection has
been purely visual and no enclosed spaces or inaccessible parts, such as boarded floors, roof
spaces, or hidden timbers have been opened up for inspection.
4.2
Particular items not inspected or covered by this report are as follows:
a. Inaccessible roof voids or inaccessible lofts.
b. Voids between or below suspended floors.
c. The organ console and organ chamber interiors.
d. Flues or ducts.
e. Only sample timbers inspected
f.
Manhole covers not lifted
g. Drains not tested.
h. Panelling not removed.
i.
Fittings not removed.
j.
Furniture not removed.
k. Floor coverings not lifted.
l.
Parts of the building hidden or obstructed by storage.
m. Floorboards not lifted.
n. Monuments plaques and statuary.
o. Tombs and graves
p. Bells and bell frames.
q. Clocks.
r.
Heating installation not tested.
s. Electrical installation not tested.
t.
Lightning conductor not tested.
It may be necessary to arrange for special further inspection in relation to these matters.
4.3
This report indicates the condition of the building and identifies defects. It does not purport
to be wholly comprehensive or to give definitive solutions for remedial work. It is a report
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
only and is in no way a specification for the execution of work and must never be used for
such purposes. It is not a document for the purpose of obtaining estimates from builders.
Professional advice should be obtained in determining appropriate repair work. Insensitive
repairs (even minor repairs) can easily destroy the architectural character and inappropriate
technical solutions to defects may prove unsatisfactory in the long run or even aggravate a
problem.
4.4
It must be emphasized that nothing in this report is intended to convey criticism of any
person.
5
Work Since the Last Inspection
5.1
Previous Report
5.2
Work Outstanding from the Previous Report
5.3
Damage Since Last Report
5.4
Projects Carried Out Since Last Report
5.5
Repairs Since Last Report
5.6
Maintenance Work
5.7
Routine Servicing
5.8
Works By Others Within and Around the Property.
5.9
Defects or Problems Reported For Examination
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
6
General Report on the Condition of the Building
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
7
Detailed Condition Survey
The inspector should provide the following information for items in the main
section of the report.
 Component
This needs to clearly identify what is being looked at and where it is on the
building.
 Description
Include materials and construction of all components. Bullet points may be
sufficient; lengthy prose is not necessary, particularly if no repairs are needed and
repetition should be avoided.
 Condition
Give a general overview, then specifics, i.e. fair condition, 2-3 broken tiles. It may
be appropriate to refer to indicators of hidden or more substantial problems than
are immediately apparent.
 Repair needs
State repair needed, or what further investigation is required. In particular identify
any specialist advice which the parish should seek, e.g. structural or mechanical
engineers, conservators, heating specialists, arboriculturalists, etc.
Photographs should be used to illustrate particular areas of concern and can either
be inserted into text or included in an appendix at the end.
7
External Fabric
7.3
7.4
Roof Coverings
Pitched Roofs
Flat Roofs
Flashings
Rainwater Disposal System
7.5
External Wall Surfaces
7.6
External Doors and Windows
External Doors
Windows
Bell & Bell Frame
7.7
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section B
8
Internal Fabric
8.1
Roof Structures, Lofts and Ceiling Spaces
8.2
Internal Wall Finishes and Decorations
8.3
8.4
Internal Partitions, Ceilings, and Doors
Partitions
Ceilings
Doors
Floors
9
Furniture and Fittings
9.1
Furniture, Fittings,
9.2
The Organ
10.
Services
10.1
Heating System
10.2
Electrical Installation
10.3
Lightning Conductor
10.4
Sanitary Facilities
10.5
Fire Precautions
10.6
Security
11.
Exterior and Site
11.1
External Areas.
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Section C
Section C
C1
Recommended Repairs and Maintenance
1
Urgent works requiring immediate attention
2
Essential works to be carried out during the next 18 months
3
Works recommended to be carried out during the Quinquennial Period
4
Works needing consideration beyond the Quinquennial Period.
5
Works required to improve the energy efficiency of the fabric or services
6
Works required to improve disabled access.
C2
Recommendations for Further Investigation
1
Items requiring opening up or special access to allow inspection
2
Items for examination by experts or specialists
3
Matters to be kept under observation.
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
Section D
D1
Notes on Routine Inspections and Maintenance Work
It is recommended that the Inspector identifies in their summary of recommendations which of the
works would fall under the Diocese of Sheffield’s ‘Minor Works’ list (i.e. will not require a faculty),
with reference being made to the Minor Works list and how to obtain such approval.
1.1
Electrical Installation
Any electrical installation should be tested at least every quinquennium by a registered
NICIEC electrician, and a resistance and earth continuity test should be carried out on all
circuits. The engineer’s test report should be kept in the church log book. This report is based
upon a visual inspection of the main switchboard and of certain sections of the wiring
selected at random, without the use of instruments.
1.2
The Lightning Conductor
Any lightning conductor should be tested every quinquennium in accordance with the
current British Standard by a competent engineer, and the record of test results and
conditions should be kept in the church log book.
1.3
Heating Installation
A proper examination and test should be made of the heating system by a qualified engineer
annually before the heating season begins and the report kept with the Church Log Book.
1.4
Fire Extinguishers
A minimum of two water type fire extinguishers (sited adjacent to each exit) should be
provided plus additional special extinguishers for the organ and boiler house as detailed
below. Large churches will require more extinguishers. As a general rule of thumb, one
extinguisher should be provided for every 250 square meters of floor area.
General Areas
Organ
Boiler House (gas fired)
Water Extinguishers
CO2 Extinguisher
Dry Powder Extinguisher
All extinguishers should be inspected annually by a competent engineer to ensure that they
are in good working order.
The above is only indicative and the PCC should seek advice for the local fire prevention
officer and the insurers to establish their requirements.
1.5
Rainwater Gutters and Down pipes
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
The PCC are strongly advised to enter into a contract with a local builder for cleaning out the
gutters and down pipes twice a year. Ideally this should be once in November when the
leaves have all fallen, and again in May.
1.6
Regular Inspection
Although the Measure requires the church to be inspected every five years, it should be
realised that serious trouble may develop in between these surveys if minor defects are left
unattended. Churchwardens are required by the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical
Jurisdiction Measure 1991 to make an annual inspection of the fabric and furnishings, and to
prepare a report for consideration by the PCC before the Annual parochial Church Meeting.
Further guidance on the inspection and statutory responsibilities are contained in ‘How To
Look After Your Church‘. ‘The Churchwarden’s Year’ gives general guidance on routine
inspection and housekeeping, and general guidance on cleaning is given in ‘Handle with
Prayer’, both published for the CCC by Church House Publishing
1.7
Asbestos
It is the responsibility of the PCC to ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment should be
made as to whether asbestos is liable to be present in the premises. Further details on
making an assessment are available on http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidanceadvice/looking-after-your-church/health-safety-security/asbestos
1.8
Equality Act
The PCC should ensure that they have understood their responsibilities under the
Equality Act 2010. Further details and guidance are available at
http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/making-changes-to-yourbuilding/detailed-advice/disabled-access
1.9
Headstones
Should be checked by hand to ensure that they are secure. An advisory publication on
managing the safety of burial grounds has been published by the Ministry of Justice. See
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/burials-and-coroners/safety-burial-grounds.pdf to
download the document.
1.10
Bats and other protected species
The PCC should be aware of its responsibilities where protected species are present
in a church. Guidance can be found at: http://www.churchcard.co.uk/shrinking-thefootprint/ways-to-take-action/wildlife
1.11
Insurance
The PCC is reminded that insurance cover should be index linked, so that adequate cover is
maintained against inflation of building costs. Contact should be made with the insurance
company to ensure that insurance is adequate.
1.12
Approvals
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
The repairs recommended in the report will (with the exception of some minor maintenance
items) be subject to the faculty jurisdiction. Also Listed Buildings Consent will be required for
any internal alterations.
1.13
Consult the Expert
Some maintenance work may be undertaken on a do - it - yourself basis: some may require a
builder or specialist subcontractor. In either case before applying for a Faculty or
Archdeacon’s Certificate it would be advisable to consult the Architect.
1.14
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
Generally under these regulations the client, usually the PCC, is responsible for ensuring the
health and safety of persons working on the building. They must appoint a CDM Coordinator
for the works at the earliest planning stage, and the Health and Safety Executive must be
notified. However, for certain minor works the HSE do not need to be notified. The criteria
for identifying minor works are as follows:


The work will be completed in less than 30 working days or
The amount of work must not be more than 500 person days.
If you are not sure whether the work meets these criteria, or clearly does not meet the
criteria, please consult the Architect before approaching any builders, who will advise you
accordingly.
Even if you are sure that the works are minor, you will still require someone to fulfil the role
of the CDM Coordinator, and before employing any builder you must be sure that he is
competent to undertake the works and that he will do so safely and not put anyone’s health
and safety at risk.
Photographs
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
GLOSSARY OF ARCHITECTURAL AND TECHNICAL TERMS
Aisle: Part of a church alongside the nave or choir divided from it by an arcade
Apse: A polygonal or semi-circular plan to the sanctuary
Arcade: A series of arches and supporting columns
Arris: Sharp edge produced from the meeting of two edges
Ashlar: Masonry of squared blocks with dressed faces and laid in horizontal courses
Aumbry: Wall cupboard for sacred vessels
Barge board: Timber boarding on the gable end of the roof
Barrel vault: Internal shape of a simple semicircular shaped roof
Batter: Deliberate inclination of a wall face
Battlement: A parapet with alternating raised portions (merlons) and spaces (embrasures).
Also called crenellation
Belfry: The chamber or stage of a tower in which the bells are hung
Bellcote: Housing for bells on a roof or gable
Bell fleche: Slender spire usually of wood containing bell(s)
Bell louvres: Horizontal slats in the window type opening within a bell chamber
Bench: Open seat, sometimes with a carved bench end
Boss: An ornamental carving at the intersection of ribs in a ceiling or vault
Brace: A subsidiary timber providing stiffness to a frame
Broaches: Sloping half pyramids adapting an octagonal spire to a square tower
Buttress: Projecting masonry or brickwork built against a wall for additional strength
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
Capital: The head of a column
Cementitious: Made of or containing cement
Chamfer: The surface made when a square edge is cut away at an angle
Chancel: The part of the east end of the church containing the altar and reserved for the
clergy and choir
Choir: The part of the church, usually within the chancel, where divine service is sung
Ciborium: (i) a receptacle used to hold the eucharist (ii) a canopy over the altar
Cinquefoil: A leaf shaped curve of 5 parts within an arch, window head etc.
Clerestory: Windows located above the arcade
Communion rail: Low rail around an altar
Coping: A capping or covering, usually of masonry, to the top of a wall
Corbel: A projecting block of stone or timber, usually supporting a beam
Cornice: A projecting moulding along the top of a wall
Credence: A shelf or table beside the piscina for the sacramental elements
Crenellation: See battlement
Crossing: Central space at the junction of nave, chancel and transepts
Cruciform: In the form of a cross
Cusps: Projecting points between foils in gothic tracery
Dado: The lower part of an interior wall, sometimes panelled
Dressings: Worked stones, with smooth or moulded finish, used round angles or openings in
masonry
Drip: A projecting stone etc. from which water drips clear of the face of a building
Dripstone: See hoodmould
Easter sepulchre: A decorated recess in the north wall of a chancel used in celebration of the
Easter liturgy.
Eaves: Overhanging edge of a roof
Elevation: Face of a building
Fascia: Horizontal section usually at the junction of a wall and the lower edge of the roof
Ferramenta: Metal framing to which window glazing is fixed
Finial: Ornament at the top of a gable, pinnacle etc.
Flashing: A strip of metal used to seal junctions of roofs with adjacent construction
Flaunching: Mortar shaped to shed water
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
Frontal: Covering for the front of an altar
Gable: Upper, usually triangular, part of a wall at the end of a pitched roof
Gargoyle: Projecting rainwater spout, sometimes decorated
Haunching: a sloping fillet of mortar
Hip: The external angle formed by the intersection of two roof slopes
Hoodmould: Projecting moulding above a door or window opening
Hopper: (i) A box collecting water at the top of a rainwater pipe (ii) An inward opening
ventilator in a window
Jamb: The side of a doorway, window or arch
Joist: Horizontal timber supporting a floor, ceiling or flat roof
Kneeler: Block of stone at the foot of a gable slope supporting the coping stones
Lancet: A tall narrow single light window, usually with a pointed head
Leading: Strips of lead between individual pieces of glass in a leaded window
Ledger: Floor slab monument
Light: A single window opening or compartment of a window between mullions
Lintel: A beam over an opening
Louvres: Angled boards or slates in a belfry opening
Lychgate: Roofed gateway at a churchyard entrance, providing resting place for a coffin
Merlon: See battlement
Moulding: The shaping of a continuous strip of wood or masonry
Mullion: A vertical member, in wood or stone, dividing a window or other opening into
individual lights
Nave: The body of a church, west of the chancel or crossing
Newel: Central post to a staircase
Nosing: Projecting edge of the tread of a stair
Obelisk: A free standing tapering stone pillar of square or rectangular cross section
Ogee: A double curve with convex and concave section, occurring in arches, window and
door heads and rainwater gutters.
Parapet: A low wall, usually concealing a roof or gutter
Parclose: A screen enclosing a chapel
Pew: Enclosed, fixed wooden seat
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
Pier: A solid masonry support, pillar of square section or masonry between doors and
windows.
Pilaster: A shallow pier or square section column projecting from the face of a wall
Pinnacle: A small pointed turret on a tower, buttress etc.
Piscina: A stone basin with a drain, in a niche near the altar for washing the sacred vessels
Pointing: Exposed mortar in joints in masonry and brickwork
Purlin: A Horizontal roof timber, usually supporting rafters and spanning between walls
and/or trusses
Quarry: A small diamond shaped or rectangular piece of glass in a leaded window
Quatrefoil: A leaf shaped curve of 4 parts within an arch, window head etc.
Quoins: Dressed stones at the corners of a building
Rafter: Sloping roof timbers supporting laths or battens to the roof coverings
Relieving arch: A rough arch positioned in a wall above a door or window opening to relieve
it of structural loading
Rendering: A coating of mortar on a wall face
Reredos: A decorated wall or screen behind an altar
Reveal: The side of a door or window opening or recess
Rib: A curved member or projecting moulding on the underside of a vault or ceiling
Ridge roll: Lead dressed capping to the top of a pitched roof
Ringing chamber: The chamber or stage of a tower where the bell ringers stand
Rood: A crucifix over the entrance to the chancel, usually supported on a rood screen
Rood stair: A staircase formerly providing access to the rood loft on top of the rood screen
Rubble: Rough unsquared stones used for walling
Saddle bar: Horizontal metal bar to which window glazing is attached
Sanctuary: Area around the main altar
Sarking: Boards or felt over which roof slating or tiling is laid
Sedilia: Stone seats for clergy in south wall of chancel
Shake: A natural cleft or fissure (in timber)
Soaker: A strip of metal interleaved with roofing slates or tiles at junctions with walls etc
Soffit: Underside of a building element
Spandrel: Triangular area in an arch window or doorway
Squint: An oblique opening through a wall giving a view of the altar
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Diocese of Sheffield Quinquennial Inspection Report – Photographs
Stoup: Stone Basin for holy water
Swan neck: A curved section of rainwater pipe connecting to the gutter
Tingle: A metal clip used to secure a roofing slate or tile
Tomb chest: Stone monument in the form of a chest
Tracery: Ornamental stonework in the upper part of a window, screen etc.
Transept: Arm of a cruciform church plan projecting at right angles to the nave
Transom: Horizontal bar of wood or stone in a window, panel etc
Tread: Horizontal surface of a step
Trefoil: A leaf shaped curve of 3 parts within an arch, window head etc.
Truss: Timber framing, spanning between walls, usually part of a roof structure
Turret: Small tower attached to a building
Two-centred: A pointed arch shape formed from the intersection of two curves
Valley: The internal angle formed by the intersection of two roof slopes
Verge: Junction at the edge of a roof and the wall below
Vice: Small turning stair within the masonry of a wall or tower
Voussoir: Wedge-shaped stone forming part of an arch
Wagon roof: A roof structure of closely spaced rafters and arch braces with the internal
appearance of the canvas cover to a wagon.
Wallplate: A horizontal timber on the top of a wall, to which a roof structure is fixed.
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