Derby Cathedral

Overview

The Cathedral of All Saints was founded in the mid-10th century as a royal collegiate church. It became a cathedral by Order in Council in 1927. The tower dates from the 16th century, and a retrochoir was added between 1967 and 1972.  The main body of the church as it stands today is a Neoclassical rebuilding by James Gibbs, completed in 1725.  It is Grade I listed.

In his Book of Architecture, Gibbs wrote of All Saints, “It is the more beautiful for having no galleries, which, as well as pews, clog up and spoil the insides of churches”, and noted that “the plainness of this building makes it less expensive, and renders it more suitable to the old steeple”.  To offset the rather austere interior, Gibbs introduced a wrought-iron screen which extended across the entire width of the church. It was built by the local iron-smith and gate-maker, Robert Bakewell, but was not completed until five years after the newly rebuilt church was opened. Its first sermon was preached on 25 November 1725.

The project comprises of stripping the existing lead roof coverings and gutters to the Nave and Retrochoir roofs and recovering in new lead including some timber repairs to the substrate.  There are some masonry repairs to be undertaken to the parapet balustrade as well as inserting a new roof hatch, insulating the roof void and rebuilding the 4nr. timber ventilators.  All of this work to be carried out under the protection of a temporary roof and without disturbing the family of Peregrines which are housed within the Tower.

Client
The Dean and Chapter of Derby Cathedral

Project
The Cathedral of All Saints, Derby

Value
£900,000

Role
Quantity Surveyor & CDM Advisor

Procurement
Traditional

Duration
9 months