FURNITURE created by an iconic Yorkshire business will take pride of place at Welcome to Yorkshire’s biggest ever garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Robert Thompson’s Craftsmen, based in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, have created a bespoke bench for the garden, which took four craftsmen 120 hours to make and features three of the company’s famous mice.

Made from naturally seasoned English oak, the bench also features the proverb "deep rivers move in silence, shallow brooks are noisy," taken from the headboard of Robert Thompson’s bed.

Born in 1876, Robert 'Mousey' Thompson dedicated his life to the craft of carving English oak and, as a young man, he took over his father’s joinery business in Kilburn.

The iconic mouse emblem apparently came when his carving companion, while working on a church screen, commented that their jobs left them as "poor as church mice".

He carved his first mouse there and then, and the business has since gone from strength to strength.

Simon Thompson Cartwright, the great-great-grandson of Robert Thompson, said:

"When we were asked to help with the garden, we jumped at the chance to be a part of it. It has been a really enjoyable experience for the boys here and I am really proud to be involved."

God’s Own County – A Garden for Yorkshire, has been inspired by the medieval Great East Window at York Minster and showcases the county’s stunning scenery, iconic heritage and skilled tradespeople.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "I am really proud of the fact that we are not only going to have the biggest garden at Chelsea this year, but that we also have some fantastic Yorkshire businesses supporting the Yorkshire garden."