NEWS The Commandery, in Sidbury, is now charging city residents to visit was met with a mixed reaction from Worcester News readers.

As reported on Saturday, The Commandery, in Sidbury, Worcester, used to be free for all taxpaying residents in the city.

But following the Grade 1 listed building's extensive £260,000 revamp, which included a new interactive Civil War experience that opened earlier this year, residents now face a £5 yearly charge.

The website article received more than 3,000 views about 30 comments and received almost two dozen reactions and 30 comments on the Worcester News Facebook page.

Many readers said they were unaware that they could previously visit for free and had paid for the experience, others were angry at the charge and some felt the amount was justified.

On the Worcester News website, Too Real said: "Wow, so we pay to maintain the building and pay again to view it.This money will fund one person to stand in the doorway and bank the entrance charge. No winners there. Most large towns have a policy of free entry to places of culture that have been paid for with tax money. Only in small town Worcester."

S_ellinson said: "Welcome to the consequences of Tory austerity. Cuts to local budgets and so charges for existing local services."

But Teme Spirit wrote: "A sensible move after such an investment. Make a couple of coffees at home and, with the money you have saved, enjoy this all year in return if local history is your thing."

Kermit22 said: "Are you aware the sort of money a Grade 1 listed building needs just to maintain it? These mind of funding bids were for the building, conservation and putting into place a permanent exhibition. If there was staffing costs it was for someone to be brought in to make the museum more resilient in the face of local authority cuts. Without it the building may as well close."

Posting on Facebook Richard Lawrence said: "I think they should charge, they deserve it and they need more exhibits. If you bring kids the audio tour doesn't work. For a single person or a couple it’s magic. It's a museum. It should charge. I paid to go to Cricceith Castle. That's a knoll and the remains of a castle wall."

Dean Joels added: "The way I see it is that our past heritage has put us where we are so why not fork out and start looking after it. £5 a year is nothing at all."

But others said they were unaware it was free for city residents.

On the website, Pjw.therapy said: "I'm going to sound really stupid now but I've never been in there as I assumed you had to pay and that is a luxury to me. I shall kick myself for a lost opportunity. Is there anywhere else free I should know about?"

Ms Honey said: "I went there once and was charged. They never said it was free to locals (and I lived a three minutes’ walk away at the time). I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don’t realise."

The fee was added in July this year.

The building, set in the heart of historic Worcester, 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.