CHILDREN across Oxfordshire have been creating their own illustrated manuscripts for a project celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

Youngsters from 84 Church of England schools across the county have been painstakingly copying out verses of the gospels and illustrating them.

The project was the brainchild of the Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Rev Colin Fletcher.

He said: “I added up the number of church primary schools there were in the county and it was about 100, and if you look at the number of chapters in the four gospels, it adds up to 89.

“I wrote to all the primary schools asking if they would like to copy out a chapter and we got a really good response.”

Pens, paper and other art material were supplied to maintain consistency between the different chapters.

It is now planned to bind the chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into separate books, which will be presented to Christ Church Cathedral at a ceremony in October.

Bishop Colin said: “It has been a fun project for them, but they have also been learning things at the same time.

“They have done incredibly well and the pages really are beautiful.”

Some of the children have taken inspiration from their surroundings for the illustrations while others have drawn on their imagination – or from the words of the gospel itself.

Luke 2 was produced by pupils at Church Cowley St James Primary School, and features Minis in the background to represent the nearby Cowley car factory.

One of the chapters which marks the birth of Jesus includes a picture of a baby in a manger, and Bishop Colin is planning to use it for his Christmas card this year.

He said: “They have really put heart and soul into it.”

Three children from each school will be invited to the ceremony on October 14.

The event will feature workshops, drama and music as well as a service presenting the gospels to the cathedral.

Publisher BRF, based in Abingdon, is binding the manuscripts.

BRF chief executive Richard Fisher said: “We are delighted to be supporting the project.

“During the last two terms we’ve worked with primary schools throughout the country, exploring the theme ‘What’s so special about the Bible?’ through drama, mime, storytelling and games.

“The children taking part in the special day at Christ Church Cathedral in October will have a taste of how our team brings the Bible to life and I know they’ll have a great time.”