IT may have been shut for more than a year but behind closed doors they have been busy at the Commandery. The beautiful black and white building in Sidbury, Worcester, has undergone a transformation and, on Saturday, May 26, it is set to reopen.

The museum now covers six periods of history and brings the real people of the past to life.

Through atmospheric descriptions, special effects and characterisation, visitors will find themselves transported back to a mediaeval hospital, to Tudor times, the Georgian middle classes, the chaos of the Civil War and a Victorian schoolroom. Here is a taste of what visitors can expect: Monastic Layer

By 1480 there had been a mediaeval hospital on the site for at least 200 years.

For years it cared for the sick and injured and offered accommodation to weary pilgrims, but over time the hospital began to receive money in return for accommodation and care. By the 13th century it was basically a retirement home for Worcester's wealthy residents.

The money that people gave the hospital ensured that prayers and masses uttered in their name would continue after their death.

Tudor Layer

This layer focuses of the life of Robert Wylde, one of Worcester's most successful cloth traders.

Wylde died in 1605, leaving behind documents which reveal intimate details of Tudor life.

Because of his work, the Wylde family was able to buy the mediaeval hospital and turn it into a family home. It was probably the period when the building was at its most prestigious - there are even rumours that Queen Elizabeth I hunted in the grounds.

The house remained in Wylde's family for several generations and was only sold outright at the start of the Georgian era.

The Civil War Layer

Probably the most famous era in the Commandery's history, the Civil War layer focuses on the day-to-day grime of the bloody battle.

Requisitioned from the Wylde family, the building became the bustling headquarters for the Royalist troops.

Visitors will find out how they prepared for the fight and witness the harrowing aftermath of the battle. Looking out towards Fort Royal Hill and over the town, they will also learn how the battle affected the residents of the city and created no end of problems with housing and food.

Georgian Layer

During Georgian times the Commandery was occupied by two middle class families.

Living in the garden wing were the Cameron family, headed by the respected doctor Thomas Cameron.

His daughter Mary was a typical Jane Austen figure, attending balls and spending time in London. Her brothers, Charles and Henry, could also have stepped straight out of a novel. While Charles was training to be a doctor, Henry appears to have been the back sheep of the family. He struggled to settle into a career and was later cut off from his family because of the woman he married.

On the other side of the building lived the Dandridge family. The canal wing, owned by the Harris family, was leased out and used for wool trading.

The School Layer

In 1881 the Commandery housed a mix of inhabitants - there was a school, a middle class home and several poor cottages near the canal.

Records from the school tell us what the students studied, which boys went on to university and which ones did well in their exams.

Visitors will see the school as it was on speech day. Some of the boys are acting out a play while others perform a piano recital to proud parents. In the same year, the house next door was inhabited by the Probyn family - 40-year-old Laura and her elderly aunt Charlotte.

The Littlebury Layer

The final layer of history focuses on the Commandery when it was the headquarters of the family-run business, Littlebury & Co Ltd.

In 1952, David Littlebury was running the printing company. Although he did not live on site, others, including the print manager and his family, did.

Mr Littlebury's office was in the garden wing, while the heart of the print works was situated in the canal wing. From the 1930s to the 1970s, tours of the Commandery were carried by staff of the works.

The Commandery opens to the public on Saturday, May 26.