The shrine to the Bronte sisters at Haworth is to be transformed over the next two years.

The interior refurbishment of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which will aim to show how the family fitted into the broader Haworth community, comes thanks to a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery fund.

To celebrate the windfall, Haworth residents will get free admission to the museum, on Saturday, August 15.

And in line with the aim of keeping local people involved, there will be a programme of community activity.

A major feature of the refurbished historic interior will be a greater focus on Haworth’s history and the social-historical context in which the Brontes lived in the early to mid 19th century.

The family arrived in Haworth from Thornton, Bradford, in 1820.

Museum director Andrew McCarthy said: “We will be renewing the interpretation aspects and giving visitors of all ages information about the house and the family.

“The project will also seek to create a greater focus in the museum on Haworth’s history and the social- historical context in which the Brontes lived.

“As part of this initiative there will be a programme of community activity to involve local people in the project.”

The lottery grant will fund stage one of the project involving the introduction of the new interpretation, object cases and displays.

The museum recently completed a refurbishment to its permanent exhibition space, the first major development at the museum in more than 20 years.

Mr McCarthy said the new exhibition space had proved a big hit with visitors.

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This fantastic project will really bring the museum’s collections to life for everyone to explore.

“The Brontes are the heart of Haworth but they were part of a broader community when they lived and wrote here and the museum has an important role in reflecting that and in forging links with the 21st century Haworth community.

“This project will hopefully allow us to work in partnership with that community to reinterpret the Brontes and the Parsonage for the next generation.”