A WHITBOURNE farmer hopes his plans for an agricultural machinery museum will help him to keep running the farm his family has tended for 86 years.

Martyn Cox, tenant of Lower Norton Farm on the Brockhampton Estate, aims to attract visitors by displaying a wide range of historic farm machinery.

"We're doing everything we can to stay here really," he said.

"We're going to charge a little bit for people to look round. It's just another way of diversifying and all farmers have got to diversify now."

Mr Cox has applied for planning permission to change the use of one of his sheds from agricultural to business use.

Interesting items he plans to put on display include a wooden sheep dip and a match plough. His father Vernon collected much of the machinery at sales 30 years ago.

He said that, subject to planning permission being granted, the museum would probably open some time next year.

Mr Cox's grandparents first came to Lower Norton 86 years ago and the farm is now managed by his 21-year-old son Ben.

When Lower Norton was hit by the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 much of Mr Cox's stock was slaughtered. The family has been working hard to rebuild the business and make it sustainable. Stocks of sheep and cattle have been replaced and a small bed and breakfast is being run on site.

The National Trust's Farming Forward in Action programme on the Brockhampton Estate is backing the project.

Vicky Bennett, countryside and project co-ordinator at Brockhamp-ton, said an application for Government funding towards the museum could be made if the plans were approved.

"It'll be nice for people to be able to enjoy Martyn's collection," she said. "Hopefully we're going to have it as an additional attraction for the estate as a whole."