A grandad with a “fascination” for all things cowboy has dedicated 25 years of his life to building a life-size Wild West town in his back garden.

Stephen Smart says his love for country music, Clint Eastwood, and John Wayne inspired him to construct his very own 19th-century-style saloon, jailhouse, bank, haberdashery, and undertakers behind his semi-detached home.

The 65-year-old, of Minster Road in Halfway on Sheppey, has lived at Dude Ranch for 35 years and began styling his property around the American frontier period after attending themed parties.

He said: “I just had a fascination for the Wild West. It started with country music, then looking up the time period and then I started going to a few themed parties.

“I wanted somewhere to go basically, so I built the town. It started with little buildings and then the saloon and then it just took off from there.”

The retired lorry driver claims to be no carpenter, however, he has handcrafted every Wild West addition in his back garden.

He explained: “I’m adding to it all the time, making things, there is always something to do.”

The front of his home is decked out with cowboy window shutters, a graveyard, old wagon wheels, and themed ornaments.

Stephen, better known as Dude, said: “From the front, I think it looks good and people say it looks good.”

The dad-of-four added: “When people come and knock on the door and ask if they can take photos I'll say to them ‘if you want you can come and look at the garden as well’.

“So they do and they're just fascinated. They just can't believe that they're going into a garden which is built like this.”

Despite his unique decorating taste, Dude’s wife Denise, understands her husband's hobby better than most.

The couple even had their wedding reception in their Wild West-themed garden.

Stephen added: “My wife is great. I met her when I was already into all of this so she just gets that it is my hobby.

“Nowadays I do get on with my neighbours but previously, before they moved out, I did have a neighbour who always reported me.

“But now everyone in the area knows me. My kids think I’m stupid and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I love it here.”

The grandad’s back garden, which can only be described as something from a Hollywood film set, consists of a bank, a livery, a general store, undertakers, a marshal's office, a jailhouse, an old shack, a haberdashery, barbers and then its centre piece, his saloon.

He added: “We’ve had parties and everything in the saloon, lots of them, including my daughter's 16th and my wife's 50th.

“It's lovely you know and it's just somewhere to go rather than out.”

Stephen lives with his wife, their two dogs, Buddie and Charlie, and their pet birds and Guinea pigs.

He said: “I do it just for the love of it.

“It's a hobby, it's like somebody going to play golf, isn't it? They have to buy new clubs. Well, I have to buy a new roof.

“A lot of people ask why. Some people think I'm an idiot, they think I'm mad to have done it but when they see it, it changes their mind.

“Obviously we don’t get the Wild West weather here so I’m always repairing things and keeping on top of it.

“I just collect things and a lot of people give me gifts, it's fantastic.

“Now a lot of people know who I am and what I've got and all that, I come home after I've been out and there's something on my doorstep.”

Another side of Stephen’s hobby is wooden sign making, he doesn’t make them for a profit but for donations towards his Wild West town.

He’s also into the fashion of the 1800’s cowboy period.

Stephen explained: “I’m quite into the fashion of the time as well and I actually get my boots from America.

“The cheapest pair I have was £200 and my dearest pair are about £450.

“I’ve stopped buying so much now because I've got a lot of gear. I've got a cavalry uniform, a gamblers outfit, an undertakers outfit, the barmen outfit, I've got every outfit for every building so when people come out I can be a different character it's great. I love it.”

Stephen’s construction has slowed in recent years due to his arthritis but he says he’s still “plodding on” with his hobby.

Despite his love for the Wild West, the collector hasn’t actually been to America.

He said: “I was saving to go but then my friend in Australia was diagnosed with Stage four cancer and I went to see him instead, I think I’m too old to go now.”

Stephen has hundreds of bits of Wild West memorabilia, belt buckets, statues, and cooking utensils and although he doesn’t have an exact figure on how much it has all cost him, he can only assume it’s been thousands of pounds.

He concluded: “The Wild West isn’t being carried on anymore. There used to be a big community around it but it involved older people who are now dying and the younger generations aren’t interested.

“It is a shame but they’re into the digital world now.

“I’ve got my own paradise in my back garden and even though my home is on a main road, down the bottom of my garden is like a different world.”