Rainham Hall has taken on a much more wintery look and been closed to the public for three days while “an exciting filming opportunity” is shot at the National Trust site.

Temporary road closures are also in place around Rainham Hall in the Broadway, while filming of Hollywood star Tom Hardy’s new BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol takes place.

Rainham Hall tweeted: “Please note, in addition to the Hall, our café and gardens will be closed on Wednesday 1 May and Thursday 2 May due to an exciting filming opportunity.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Residents received letters from a location manager, informing them that filming scenes for a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol would be taking place in Rainham.

The location manager wrote: “We have been made to feel very welcome in Rainham so far: your help and support is greatly appreciated.”

A Christmas Carol was announced as the first in a series of adaptations to be produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free London in association with Hardy’s Hardy Son and Baker for BBC One in 2017.

Ebenzer Scrooge, the miserly cold-hearted boss is visited by four ghosts from the past, present and the future on a freezing Christmas Eve.

The ghosts force him to face up to how his selfish and stingy behaviour has impacted his own life and those around him.

Scrooge must decide if he’s willing to change his ways before it’s too late and he loses the spirit of Christmas for good.

The series is scheduled to be shown in three hour long episodes for Christmas this year.

At the time of the announcement, Ridley Scott said: “It’s terrific to be continuing the creative partnership of Scott Free London with Tom and Steve [Knight] that started with Taboo and continues with this exciting and ambitious anthology of British classics.”

The Broadway was closed from Tuesday, April 30 to Thursday, May 2.

Parts of Ferry Lane, New Road, Lambs Lane South, Upminster Road South and Wennington Road might also be closed during this time.