THE Bishop of Ely was a special guest in Benwick on Saturday as he cut the first sod in the turf of the new home for the village’s church.

The Rt Rev Stephen Conway met residents and enjoyed coffee during the ceremony at Benwick Village Hall to mark the site where the church will be built.

Bishop Conway described it as an “enormous privilege” to join in with the celebrations following years of fundraising by the Friends of Benwick Church.

The group have raised more than �100,000 to match Fenland District Council’s funding to help develop the village hall - where services have been held since Benwick’s church was demolished in 1985.

The cash will be also be used to make a number of improvements within the building and to build the extension which will become a community facility as well as the church’s new home.