A RECENTLY uncovered inscription in Salisbury Cathedral which has been hidden for hundreds of years may help solve the mystery of some ancient writing in St Leonard s Church, Leverington.

EXCLUSIVE by: MAGGIE GIBSON

A RECENTLY uncovered inscription in Salisbury Cathedral which has been hidden for hundreds of years may help solve the mystery of some ancient writing in a Fenland church.

The ancient script in St Leonard's Church, Leverington, has puzzled generations of rectors and congregations but no one has been able to decipher the once beautifully painted writing.

When Mary Watt, a Friend of the church, read about the discovery in Salisbury Cathedral in the national press, she immediately thought of the inscription in her own village church which is considered to be one of the finest in Cambridgeshire.

The writing in St Leonard's Church is on a tablet high up on the bell tower. It is thought there has been a church on the site since 1250 but that was severely damaged by a storm and flood and the church was rebuilt based on the same foundations.

Mrs Watt is writing to the Dean of Salisbury hoping that someone can visit Leverington to look at the writing.

She said: "I am going to write to the Dean and send a photograph of the inscription we have here in Leverington. Perhaps someone can come and have a look at it and help solve the mystery for us."

The writing in Salisbury Cathedral is thought to be around 500 years old and was hidden for 350 years behind a monument to a local aristocrat. It has baffled experts who have asked members of the public who are good at solving puzzles to help out.

Mrs Watt said: "No one seems to know how long the writing has been in our church but the dates would seem to match and the style is exactly the same as the writing uncovered in Salisbury.

"Most people who come to our church just never notice the writing because it is high up but because I have a passion for the building I would love to know more about it.