It seems hard to believe now but there was once a time when zebras and wild hogs lived in the countryside around Otley.

As recently as the 1820s a variety of animals decidedly not native to the area could be seen at Caley Crags or within the deer park.

A mention of the alien species which once inhabited the area is just one of the fascinating snippets in a newly-published book tracing the history of the landscape of Otley Chevin.

Delving back hundreds, and even thousands of years, Otley Chevin: A Landscape History examines some of the myths and the mysteries surrounding the area.

Some of the information may already be known to local people, but much will have been forgotten over the years, and some will have become immersed in misconception.

The book contains more than a few surprises. The early "zoo" which was attached to Caley Hall is one of them - as is the visit to the Royalty pub by no less than General Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and Field-Marshall Montgomery.

But perhaps the biggest surprise about the detailed and knowledgeable work is that it was written in Norway.

From his home on Jeloy Island Dr Alastair Laurence explained what had inspired him to write down the history of the beautiful but rugged landscape which dominates the town..

"I was born in Otley and I have known the Chevin all my life," he said. "Although I have moved to Norway I had a lot of information about the Chevin here and it seemed a bit silly not to use it."

Dr Laurence, who went to Norway more than a decade ago to teach the art of piano building, has made his home in the Scandinavian country - although he still spends part of the year in Kent.

The author of a number of local history guides he also plays piano in a successful jazz trio.

Despite moving abroad he is clearly still hugely interested by the area where he was born and grew up. Books he has already written include works about Horsforth, Menston and Hawksworth, and the legendary Yeadon mill owner, Billy Murgatroyd.

The works are very much a labour of love. With a limited audience - despite the fascinating facts they throw up - Dr Laurence does not expect to make a fortune from his books.

The latest work has a print run of 500 and has sold 86 copies so far - although it is still very early days - but he is happy to cover his costs while recording information which could otherwise soon be forgotten.

"My books usually manage to break even," he said. "They are not written to make money. It is just a hobby but I think it is important that this information is made public.

"I was very lucky because I used to live at Farnley and over many years I had the chance to look at old documents."

He said a lot of the information he had was not public knowledge, and he felt it was important to share this information with others.

"That kind of information is not publicly known - you cannot get it from any books," he said. "It was really for that reason that I wanted to transmit that information publicly so that people have some background information about it - rather than it sitting here in Norway and gathering dust."

He added: "I think the Chevin has a lot of secrets. There is a lot of history up there."

With an old Roman road and a number of standing stones it is clearly an area that is steeped in history, and today there is still debate about many issues such as the origin of the word 'Danefield.' While the name conjures up visions of Danish settlers its real origins could well be more prosaic. Possibly arising out of the old word Denn, for Swine, or Dean for valley.

Whatever the truth about its name the area was most probably bald and unforested' moorland up until the late 18th century when Walter Hawksworth Fawkes arranged for extensive planting - so that around 160 acres of Chevin hillside was turned into woodland.

His example was followed by others who owned land on the Chevin.

In his book Dr Laurence says: "The Chevin landscape was boldly transformed from a pre-dominantly moorland one, into an area comprising considerable belts of planted woodland - all within a relatively short period of time ( 1788-1820)."

The Danefield remained in the possession of the Fawkes family until 1946 when it was given, along with Caley Deer Park, to Otley Urban District Council.

The land was given by Major George Horton-Fawkes of Farnley Hall, for the perpetual use by the public for exercise and recreation."

But despite today's perception of the Chevin as a place of leisure it has also seen more serious usage.

Quarrying formed an important part of its history, and by the 1830s Chevin stone was being transported around the country - even being used as the foundations for the new Houses of Parliament.

The Chevin also had an important role to play in in ensuring the safety of the country. It's summit was one of numerous beacon posts around the country intended to be used to give early warning of a foreign invasion or other peril.

Beacon Hill - also known as Chevin Top - was one of the areas of land parcelled up into allotments for enclosure in the late 18th century. Two centuries were to pass before it once again became 'common' ground.

In 1977 the trustees of the Sam Chippindale Foundation sold Chevin Top to Leeds City Council for £15,000.

Sam Chippendale, who was born in Otley in 1909, came from a long-established local family which was connected to the world famous furniture designer.

And he made his own mark - although in a very different way - as the pioneer of the Arndale shopping centres.

An immensely wealthy man, he set up a charitable trust to benefit Otley people. He gave £80,000 to cover half the cost of a swimming pool at Prince Henry's Grammar, which also benefited from the sale of the Chevin land.

Dr Laurence said: "He was the person who arranged for the land to be transferred to Leeds City Council. He chose to do that out of goodwill to his native town.

"One of the reasons for my book was to let people know what he did."

If the book looks fairly spartan that was always the author's intention.

"It has no frills. It's a bit like a 1950s school text book - quite basic," he said. "But in a way that was deliberate, because the Chevin is a basic chunky place."

Even the type face has been chosen by the printer to reflect the 'chiselled' look of the Chevin itself.

The decision to illustrate the book with simple black and white drawings was also a deliberate one.

"We decided not to use photographs, because when you take photographs from the Chevin they never look as good as the eye sees."

The slim volume has a sturdy cover and would make an ideal walkers handbook.

It can be bought from newsagents in Otley and can also be obtained direct from Dr Laurence at Bratengaten 36, Jeloy Island, 1515 Moss, Norway.