Kilburn: The historic Yorkshire village home to Mouseman and watched over by a legend

Created in 1857 by Kilburn schoolmaster John Hodgson, his pupils and 31 men from the village by cutting turf to expose sandstone before coating it in lime, the giant equine is said to put have put the village on the map and has become a much-loved landmark.

Consequently, for more than 160 years villagers took on the huge task and cost of maintaining the artwork.

In 1923 the Yorkshire Post and its readers collected donations to save the horse and when funds ran low again in the 1990s the newspaper again moved to help.

Ripon Racecourse and Tetleys were among numerous firms which contributed to an investment fund to produce an income with which to maintain the horse.

Nevertheless, its management was taken over by the Forestry Commission seven years ago due to health and safety concerns about working on the steep slopes.

While the artwork, which can be reached from Sutton Bank or via a steep ascent from a car park half-way up White Horse Bank, has drawn countless visitors to the village six miles south-east of Thirsk its literal high profile at about 280 metres above sea level has attracted those taking off from the neighbouring Yorkshire Gliding Club or those wishing to make a point.

In 2002, campaigners for the Real Countryside Alliance painted a rider in full hunt regalia in an attempt to further its pro-hunting stance and when a red St George's cross was unfurled across the landmark last month community leaders said it was not there to be used as "a whiteboard for public opinion".

Despite these concerns, Historic England has refused residents' requests to list the White Horse as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, saying giving the hill figure in North Yorkshire protected status would cause "unnecessary complications for little benefit".

The descent from the bank to the village along Carr Lane offers some of the best views of the artwork and after passing a few of the village's dominant stone and pantile houses, given colourful names such as Kestrel Corner, Fox Field, Dolittle Cottage, Golden Last and Mousetrap, visitors find themselves conveniently facing another tourist honeypot.

Furniture designer Robert 'Mousey' Thompson's original workshop as well as the adjacent blacksmith’s shop have been rebuilt, stone by stone, inside the Mouseman Visitor Centre, which opened 31 years ago.

The firm's buildings also include a 16th century timber framed building with a frontage surrounded by a walled formal garden, alongside car parking for its 40-strong team of craftsmen.

Mouseman extends its influence to the southern edge of the village, which has about 200 residents, 55 of whom are aged over 70 and just 28 under 20, with a purpose-built timber yard.

Seventy years after his death the Arts and Crafts movement-inspired oak furniture's signature mouse motif remains a famous trademark and a source of terrific pride for villagers.

Just yards from the workshop where he carved out an enviable reputation, Mousey is buried outside the early 12th century Blessed Virgin Mary Church, where there are said to be almost 50 carved mice and other Mouseman creations alongside an array of ancient artefacts, including fine grave slabs attributed to the late 13th century showing how clerics employed a champion to take their place in "trial by combat".

Points of interest outside the church include a stone horse mounting block beside its south gate, wooden Mouseman war grave markers at the foot of the tower and a war memorial featuring a sandstone bust of a soldier wearing a steel helmet with a plinth featuring the words For God, For King, For Country.

The listed structures are overlooked by the Foresters Arms pub, which has a reputation for an impressive array of Mouseman furniture.

It was also home to an ancient charter that following the dissolution of the monasteries, and in particular the destruction of nearby Byland Abbey, gave Kilburn residents an exemption from the payment of toils and market dues anywhere in the kingdom.

The pub bounced back from a devastating fire in 2019, but amid concerns about the venue's future earlier this year villagers tried to have what represents one of three public buildings remaining in the village listed as an asset of community value.

North Yorkshire Council officers concluded there was not enough evidence it was being used by the community.

The attempt followed the conversion into homes of public buildings such as the village school, which close in 1981 after 140 years of lessons and the Wesleyan Chapel.

The area beside the inn is the focus for the Kilburn Feast, a summer festival stretching back hundreds of years, known for its Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, a young man in female clothing and makeup, who are appointed for the day to tour the village in top hat and sash of office and issue small fines on householders and visitors for any misdemeanours.

Continuing south on the village's main lane, Kilburn Beck's course has been defined by stone walls and small bridges for centuries leading to numerous well-tended cottage gardens. Facing the detached stone homes, Church Farm commands an unrivalled position over the road, which at points narrows to a single lane.

Beside the farmhouse stands the small, but perfectly formed stone Kilburn Institute of 1911.

The well-used community hub stands proudly at the geographic heart of the village following a major restoration approved by the planners for the national park, the boundary of which divides the village.

Relaunching it two years ago Yorkshire Vet star Peter Wright said the hall had been "changed out of all recognition".