Church Heritage Cymru contains over 1,350 records for church buildings in Wales. As well as GIS information for each record, Church Heritage Cymru contains fields for a wide range of heritage data. Examples of this include church plans, architectural information, archaeological descriptions and statutory designation information. It is also possible to add details about building fabric and other church features using terms from the FISH thesaurus. The system also gives users the ability to link people (architects, authors, etc.) and sources (articles, manuscripts, etc.) to a number of church assets. There is also the option to enter information about worship times and facilities, as well as links to local church websites. 

The information contained within has been developed and added to through desk-based research and fieldwork reports, as well as through local initiatives and thematic projects. 

Further information from Crispin Flower.

A major aim of the project was to develop an online faculty application system for the Church of England. This system is used to digitally process applications which propose changes to the fabric of church buildings, features within the church and the churchyard. The system aims to simplify the faculty application process by automatically inputting information about each asset from the Church Heritage Record (which has shared development with Church in Wales Church Heritage Record).

Exegesis have developed a number of tools to simplify and automate the faculty application process. The system allows for the creation of legal forms for each application, required by the Church of England. It also allows users to keep up to date with their workload, providing them with a dashboard showing the applications and messages relevant to their role and any cases which require their attention. Users are also notified by email if they are required to work on an application. We have added a number of other useful tools, for example the automatic production of meeting agendas for the Diocesan Advisory Committee.

Since its launch at the beginning of 2015, 21 dioceses have signed up and well over 1000 applications have been processed.

Further information from Crispin Flower or Steve Ellwood.

The core of the site is the interactive map of heritage assets, including listed buildings, places of worship, historic gardens, conservation areas, and a 5% sample of the county’s archaeological sites. Map and attribute data are drawn live from the Lincolnshire County HER via the HBSMR Gateway, rather than being managed in a separate database. The map uses the OpenLayers API, with free Ordnance Survey Open Data and Bing maps.

From the map, volunteers download and print a user-friendly survey-pack for the sites/buildings they wish to survey, including everything known about the site, a location map, and a site-specific survey form. Once the fieldwork has been done, the volunteers enter the survey results back into the web site, along with digital photos. Project staff validate the surveys to ensure consistency, and can also view on-line statistics on the complete dataset as it accumulates, and download the data for further analysis.

Further information is available from Crispin Flower, Liz Bates at the Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire on 01529 461499 or www.lincshar.org.