A £260,000 revamp of Worcester's Commandery is about to get the green light - turning the building into a national civil war-themed tourist attraction.

Worcester City Council's Conservative leadership is poised to accept a plan to overhaul the site under a major transformation.

By the summer of 2016 it will feature a new Battle of Worcester experience, with the cash also used to improve the conditions inside the building and upgrade the cafe.

The spending, which your Worcester News first revealed was on the cards back in February, is now expected to get the go-ahead when the Tory cabinet meets next Tuesday.

It follows extensive research by Museums Worcestershire, which used outside consultants to examine the potential of The Commandery, at Sidbury, to rake in more visitors.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for history and heritage, said: "Almost a decade ago work focused on the restoration of the Commandery and revealed a beautiful, historic building.

"We are now at the point where we can realise our ambitions to focus new displays and interpretation in the building on Worcester's Civil War story and our unique place in history, creating a visitor attraction which will sit at the heart of Worcester's heritage offer.

"You can't beat the experience of visiting a place where history literally happened, and that's what we want visitors to feel when they visit The Commandery."

If it gets approved work will start as soon as the summer holiday activity period, including a major event during the August Bank Holiday weekend, is over.

Council chiefs say the building will stay open during the transformation, with the new experience expected to be up and running by next summer.

The Commandery was originally a hospital and place of pilgrimage, and later became the Royalist Headquarters during the Battle of Worcester, the final and deciding battle of the English Civil War.

Its unique place in history was compounded by the visit to the adjoining Fort Royal Hill of future American Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who declared Worcester to be the ground where liberty was fought for.

As your Worcester News revealed in June, the review by Museums Worcestershire has thrown up all sorts of suggestions to improve The Commandery further, including using it as a wedding venue, holiday let and making a bid for Heritage Lottery Fund cash.

None of those suggestions will be funded with this £260,000, which is aimed at improving the facilities for visitors only.

A suggestion to charge Worcester taxpayers, who currently get in for free, also does not form part of the cabinet report.