What could well be the largest nativity exhibition in the South West is coming to a small village near Okehampton over the weekend of December 13–14.

St Thomas’s Church in Northlew will be filled with dozens of nativity sets and images to illustrate the many different ways the birth of Christ has been interpreted and depicted around the world as well as more locally.

The exhibition is the brainchild of locals Luisa and Victor Hulbert.

“Several years ago my husband, Victor, gave me an olivewood nativity set that he bought from a Palestinian Christian in Jerusalem,” said Luisa, one of the creative designers of the exhibition. “The set had been hand carved in Bethlehem, and that gave it even more meaning, particularly with today’s Palestinian/Israeli tensions.”

Since then Luisa has been collecting nativity sets from around the world including Africa, South America, across Europe, and both Ukraine and Russia. Now others in the village have caught the vision.

The inspiration for Victor came after a visit to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where it is said the angel appeared to the Virgin Mary. He was impressed by a series of mosaics images of Mary, each portraying her through the eyes of a different culture.

The Northlew exhibition expands on this idea to full nativity sets. Exhibits will also include family heirlooms from people in the village, and some very talented hand-crafted exhibits in clay, felting, cork, and even egg boxes and buttons.

A walk in Manger Grotto in a side chapel will allow young visitors to experience the nativity scene for themselves. There will even be a Lego nativity set.

Village curate Rev Jonathan Cook said: “I am so impressed with the varied styles and artistic impressions that I am seeing here of an event that is so central to Christianity.”

“We normally just see one set in an individual home. Just seeing all these together from so many different people and cultures in amazing.”

Entry is free but refreshments will be on sale and all donations will go to support the Children's Hospice South West.

The exhibition is open on Saturday, December 13 from 10am until 4pm and Sunday, December 14 from 12 noon until 3pm.