St Giles Church in Holme has had some unwelcome visitors in the form of vandals who forced entry to the church. As you will see from this the first visit was through the right hand window.
Unbelievably just a few days later they destroyed the window next to it when they returned a second time.
The damage was extensive but luckily did not affect the cinquefoil headers which were untouched and a pair of new rectangular leaded lights were required, The old glass was salvaged and replaced in the same position during the build
The new glass in indistinguishable from the old and gives the impression that the disaster never happened
Once complete the churchwarden went to review the result and declared - (I) ‘went to see the new windows and (I am) delighted.’ and a follow up I also hope to be the case - ‘Don’t take this personally but I sincerely hope we won’t need your services again.’
The good news is that Cambs Police arrested and through the courts had the perps jailed who were well known – who knows hopefully they have some time on their hands to consider their future
Holme is situated in an area which was largely under water and the village sign shows a man leading a horse towing the Floating Church of Holme that was dedicated to St Withburga by the Archdeacon of Huntingdon on 5 April 1897. The Fenland Ark was the idea of the rector of Holme, Rev. George Broke who thought that a church on a boat could reach families living in remote cottages in the Fen to allow them to worship. The horse-drawn boat was 30 feet (9.1 m) long and about 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, it boasted an altar, a font, a lectern which doubled as a pulpit, and a harmonium. Between 1897 and 1904, 74 baptisms took place on board.