Windows destroyed during RFA Bedenham explosion restored at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

Windows that were destroyed during an explosion in the 50's are being brought to life at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Following the explosion of RFA Bedenham in 1951, the stained glass windows of the Cathedral were ruined; however, some of the remaining pieces of glass had been kept.

Now a team at the cathedral are restoring them, putting them together with new pieces, to create four windows to display inside the building.

70 years ago these shards of glass were shattered out of place. On the 27th April 1951 the RFA Bedenham exploded while docked on the Rock. 

Much of Gibraltar was shaken by the blast. Many buildings suffered serious damage - among them, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, whose stained glass windows were destroyed. Those fragments have been stored ever since. Now, they’re being given a new lease of life.

A visiting expert from the UK and one of the Port Chaplain's have been hard at work combining the old with the new...

The final result is going to be four windows, and some 800 pieces. 

While the new stained glass will certainly brighten the space, its purpose goes far beyond decoration. These windows tell stories of faith—illuminating history through the images.

The Dean says they're hoping to unveil the finished work in April next year, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the explosion.