The turn of the century was a time when the industrial era was changing beyond recognition, the face of the world we live in.

For one remarkable Yorkshire man however, it was a time in which he chose to turn his back on the modern techniques of mass production.

Instead he defied the conventions of his time and rediscovered the methods of medieval furniture making and woodcarving.

Robert Thompson was born in 1876, the son of a local joiner, in the village of Kilburn in North Yorkshire.

By the time of his death in 1955 he had achieved a reputation as one of the finest craftsmen this country has ever seen.

His trademark was a mouse which he carved into each of his works, a trademark for which he became known across the world as the Mouseman of Kilburn.

Today items of original Mouseman furniture are highly collectible and can now command prices reaching into many thousands of pounds at auction.

Examples of his work can be found all over the country.

They range from the candlesticks in Westminster Abbey to the communion rail in the church of St Edward on the Isle of Canna in the Hebrides.

The Kilburn mouse has even reached as far as Kathmandu, where it can be seen on the speaker's chair in the Nepalese Parliament.

Now, for the first time in 20 years, a new book has been published that takes the reader on a fascinating journey.

Not only does it look into the life and work of the renowned wood worker, but also around the breathtaking countryside and picturesque towns and villages of the area in which he lived.

'The Tale of the Mouse' by Ilkley author Patricia Lennon is a collection of eight illustrated 'mouse trails', which follow the work of Robert Thompson throughout the Yorkshire Dales, the City of York and the Lake District.

It touches on some of the communities in this area, like Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Pool-in-Wharfedale.

The book provides both the Mouseman enthusiast and those simply looking for a day out with a difference, with a unique opportunity to discover some of Britain's most beautiful countryside and fascinating architecture, as well as hidden 'mouse' gems.

Robert Thompson spent much of his life in this countryside, leaving Kilburn only when sent as a 15-year-old to serve a five-year apprenticeship with an engineering firm in Cleckheaton.

During the frequent journeys that he made to and from work, he would often stop at the cathedral in Ripon to admire the medieval woodcarvings of master carver, William Bromflet, that were to become his inspiration.

Upon reaching 20, he returned to Kilburn and began work in his father's joinery business, engaged in the repair and construction of farm buildings.

However, the intricate carvings in Ripon cathedral remained deeply engrained in his mind, and, finding time when he could, he studied the methods of the medieval wood carvers and decided to set about bringing their trade back to life.

By the beginning of the 20th century he was working as the village carpenter, supplementing his income by working as a stonemason.

To this day a number of gargoyles and First World War memorials survive in the areas surrounding Kilburn.

After the end of the First World War his work began to gain recognition further afield, following the completion of his first major commission for Ampleforth College.

It was around this time that he began to carve the figure of a mouse onto each of his works.

The mouse quickly became his trademark and it is this now world famous 'logo' that makes the furniture, whether it be a church pulpit, a fireplace or a dining table, instantly recognisable as the work of the Mouseman of Kilburn.

A letter that he wrote towards the end of his life explained its birth as the symbol of the Thompson brand and philosophy:

"The origin of the mouse as my mark was almost in the way of being an accident.

"I and another carver were carving a huge cornice for a screen and he happened to say something about being as poor as a church mouse.

"I said 'I'll carve a mouse here' and did so, then it struck me what a lovely trade mark."

Closer to home there are many more examples of Robert Thompson's remarkable talents.

In Wharfedale and the surrounding areas the Kilburn mouse is to be found adorning many pieces.

They can principally be seen in churches, ecclesiastical work forming an major part of his work.

All Saints church in Ilkley is the home of one of the last projects that Robert Thompson undertook before his death.

In collaboration with his long time friend, the architect and designer JS Syme he produced the prize winning cases for the organ in the church.

St Margaret's church on Queens Road in the town also contains examples of Mouseman craftsmanship including Candlesticks, chairs and altar rails.

There are numerous other examples in many of the towns and villages of our region including Addingham, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Menston, Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Horsforth.

The Tale of the Mouse was written as the result of a collaboration between Patricia Lennon and publishers Great Northern Books of Ilkley.

The book contains a comprehensive index of Thompson's work and where it is to be found, taken from his own work books.

The itinerary for the tours was compiled with the help of former Dalesman editor David Joy and Ian Thompson Cartwright, great grandson of The Mouseman of Kilburn

The Ilkley author described how the idea for the book was born was born: "I have had an interest in Robert Thompson's work ever since a friend gave me a piece as a present six years ago.

"I was interested, not just in the design and the old methods, but about what motivated him.

"Barry Cox from Great Northern Books who also has an interest in the subject, contacted me.

"He said that it had been 20 years since a book had been written about the Mouseman. The idea behind this book is that it will appeal to many people, those who just have a passing interest in furniture and those who enjoy a gentle drive in the countryside."

The Mouseman's legacy lives on into this millennium through the company he founded over 100 years ago.

Today Robert Thompson's Craftsmen Ltd continues to operate from the same workshop in the village of Kilburn in which he lived and worked.

The company is managed by his great grandsons who run the business in the same traditions maintaining the master craftsman's philosophy of 'industry in quiet places'.

The village has become a pilgrimage for mouse aficionados the world over.

Every year thousands visit the village to learn more about the story of Robert Thompson, and to watch today's craftsmen practising their trade as the Mouseman of Kilburn did before them.

l 'The Tale of the Mouse by Patricia Lennonis is priced £8.99 and is published by Great Northern.