The founder of Mangapps Railway Museum has said that he hopes the site's new signed walking route will encourage more locals to visit.

The new route enables safer pedestrian access to the site on Mangapps Farm via Mangapp Chase or the public footpath just beyond the new Matthew Homes development on Southminster Road.

John Jolly, founder of the attraction, said: "We, or rather some of our visitors, have always had a problem with the section of Southminster Road between the entrance to Mangapp Manor and Mangapps Railway's entrance, as there is no roadside footpath and no space for pedestrians to avoid speeding vehicles.

"As a result of recent new developments at the railway, we have now created a walking route which enables local people, or those who have arrived at Burnham mainline station, to access the railway from the public footpath which passes between the new Matthew Homes development and Mangapp Manor or via Mangapp Chase.

"We hope that this will encourage locals to visit Mangapps Railway and Museum, which is gaining a reputation as one of the leading attractions of its type in the UK."

The railway features a three-quarter mile standard gauge passenger carrying line, with restored stations, signal boxes and ancillary equipment removed from various sites in East Anglia and beyond.

The railway has a variety of steam locomotives, while the museum is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of railway items in Britain.

To find out more about the railway and museum, you can visit its website using the link here.