Letter: Le Strange did only our ceiling

Sir: In his cheerful feature on Hunstanton's biggest ever birthday party (17 August), Bob Carter tells us that Henry Styleman Le Strange designed the nave of Ely Cathedral in the 19th century. Unfortunately, Le Strange missed this particular honour by a few hundred years: the nave of Ely Cathedral is Norman. He did, however, design the ceiling of the nave, which was painted in the last century. He painted the first six bays, with assistance, himself. He then died and his friend Thomas Gambier Parry completed the work.

The ceiling is well worth seeing but, as I suspect Henry Styleman Le Strange would be the first to admit, the real glory of the nave is the Norman architecture.

Canon JOHN INGE

Ely Cathedral