A MAJOR exhibition is to be staged in Princetown next month, thanks to a £5,000 cash boost from the National Lottery?s Awards for All programme.

The exhibition, Faith on Dartmoor, is being staged by the St Michael?s (Princetown) Trust in the High Moorland Visitor Centre, starting on April 2. It is hoped it could be the first stage of an exhibition tour elsewhere in the country.

The Trust has appointed Bristol-based artist Sheona Gledhill to produce artwork for the exhibition. She has worked in consultation with the Trust and with Dartmoor National Park Authority in producing the work for the exhibition, which will consist mainly of digital prints.

Simon Taylor, St Michael?s (Princetown) Trust secretary, said: ?We are really excited by this exhibition. We have a lot of confidence in Sheona, she?s very creative and hard-working.

?We hope people will come in and see how she?s interpreted some of these historic sites on Dartmoor and come away with a sense of how the Christian faith has made its impact on Dartmoor ? and how Dartmoor has made its impact on us.?

Simon said the idea for this exhibition emerged several years ago, when Dartmoor National Park Authority asked the trust if it would consider working on an exhibition exploring the history of Christianity on Dartmoor.

Artist Sheona Gledhill, who is currently studying for her art MA in Nottingham, said: ?It has been an exciting journey preparing for this exhibition. As well as discovering so many interesting stories about faith on Dartmoor, whether through church or monastic life, my work has led me to new insights about the wonder of the natural world.?

Dartmoor National Park Authority also supported the exhibition with a grant of £550.

A DNPA spokesman said: ?We are very happy to be hosting this exhibition at the High Moorland centre and obviously we hope plenty of people will enjoy it ? and not just from a Christian perspective.

?There are such a lot of examples of the Christian heritage on Dartmoor ? stone crosses, interesting chapels and churches with fascinating histories, various routes over the moor and the abbeys at Buckfast and Tavistock. There are a lot of connections between the Christian faith and the moor.?

The St Michael?s (Princetown) Trust was established in 1999, to emphasise the Christian ethic of appreciating and caring for the environment. The trust promotes the need to conserve and protect the environment and through experiencing the wonders of nature, highlight an awareness of environmental damage. The trust fosters worship of God and stewardship of the earth through an appreciation and experience of Dartmoor?s natural beauty.

From Saturday April 3, the visitor centre opening hours will be extended to the summer schedule, from 10am until 5pm.