Going Through The Doors Of Freemasons’ Hall

Walk a few minutes North East from Covent Garden along Long Acre and you will turn the corner to be presented with one of the most impressive views of a building in London. Ahead of you is the stunning Art Deco masterpiece that is Freemasons’ Hall. 

Freemasons’ Hall is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England, the home of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a number of Districts overseas. They have a free public museum as well as guided tours and open days for the Grand Temple. 

I went to have a look around and was also shown some areas that are usually not open to the public.

The Origins Of Freemasonry?

Freemasonry is one of the world’s largest non-religious (although you have to believe in a Supreme Being to join), fraternal organisations. 

It is open to people (mostly men, but there are women’s lodges today as well) of all backgrounds and, according to their website, they aim to bond members together through values of integrity, friendship, respect, and charity. There are different levels you progress through with various symbolic rituals that teach moral lessons and encourage brotherhood. 

Their origins are obscure but many believe they lie in the guilds and fraternities of medieval stonemasons, who travelled around building castles and cathedrals. They certainly were influenced by the legends, imagery and customs of stonemasons, hence the name and lots of the symbols they use. 

The first recorded initiation of a mason is Elias Ashmole in 1646 in Warrington. His collection of artefacts and oddities went on to form the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

In 1717 four London Lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard to declare themselves a Grand Lodge. By 1723 the Grand Lodge had published its ‘Constitutions of the Freemasons’, which was essentially a rulebook. They were also meeting regularly and recording meetings. 

The History Of Freemasons’ Hall

In 1774 a site on Great Queen Street was acquired and a hall designed by Thomas Sandby. Sandby’s hall was then extended in the 1860s by Frederick Pepys Cockerell in a classical style. 

A small part of this hall actually still exists by the current hall. 

In 1919, following World War One, the Masonic Million Memorial Fund was set up to appeal to members for donations to rebuild the hall as a memorial to the 3000 members who had died on active service in the war.

A competition was held and the winning design was a partnership between H V Ashley and Winton Newman. Work was carried out on the building from 1927 and completed in 1933.

Since the 1980s Freemasons’ Hall has been more open to the public, with the establishment of the museum, library and tours. It is also regularly used as a filming location appearing in The Crown, Spectre, Johnny English and much more.

The Lobby And Roll Of Honour

Walking around the building I was blown away by its exuberant and highly decorative Art Deco style. Almost every surface and corner has been designed.

The names and lodges of the Freemasons killed in service in World War One are recorded in a Roll of Honour. 

The Grand Temple

I was then taken into the Grand Temple, the magnificent centrepiece of the hall. At 123 metres long and a capacity of 1700, this is where large meetings, events and filming take place. 

The cornice is entirely decorated with mosaics. The mosaic, installed by artist George AH Swanson in 1933, is packed with symbolism.

Most are symbols also used in across other religions or mythologies, but the only one unique to Freemasonry can be seen below.

The stone on the left is a rough ‘ashlar’, a stone in its natural state, representing someone at the beginning of their journey with Freemasonry. The smooth or perfect ‘ashlar’ on the right represents someone at the end of their journey. 

The symbol of King Soloman’s Temple is central to Freemasonry. 

The all-seeing eye is apparently to remind you that you are being watched on Earth by your God. 

The ceiling is a starry sky as a nod to stonemasons originally meeting in unfinished buildings, without roofs.

The Grand Temple also has these astonishing doors by Walter Gilbert.

Made of solid bronze, they weigh a whopping three tonnes. They are decorated with various figures, including Moses, Solomon, St George and WW1 Freemason soldiers. 

A rare Glimpse At Some Other Lodges

I was given a rare opportunity to see some of the other lodge rooms as well. We wound our way up through the building.

The other lodges are essentially the same layout as the Grand Temple, but a lot smaller and are where smaller lodges meet. There are over 7,000 Freemason lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). 

Each of the main chairs have different symbols depending on the rank and seniority of the person that sits there. Also, columns by the chairs are of the different orders: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, depending on position.

There is an organ in every lodge and ‘degree boards’ that have various symbolism on them, all relating to the journey of becoming a Freemason. 

The Museum

The Museum, all about the history of Freemasonry, is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is free to visit. 

Below is a replica sign of the Goose and Gridiron, the pub in which the UGLE was formed in 1717.

Arguably the most important item they have is the original Constitutions of Freemasons from 1723, the founding document that created the rulebook for the United Grand Lodge of England. 

At the centre of the museum is this giant chair.

The Grand Master’s throne dates from 1791 and was made to mark the election of Prince George (future King George IV) as Grand Master. 

Below is the apron and storage pouch of Winston Churchill who was made a Master mason in 1902. 

These are books that have criticised and ‘revealed’ the secrets of Freemasonry. 

Below is an apron made by a lodge in Jersey during World War Two and their occupation by the Germans. Freemasonry was banned by the Germans and their items sent back to Germany for an anti-Freemasonry exhibition. They had to improvise and this apron is made of paper. 

You can actually also see, from the museum, a lodge, laid out as it would be if in use.

Finally, I had a look at the Library, that again members of the public can use. You need to register as a reader for access to the public reference books. The library is open during the Museum of Freemasonry’s opening hours.

Thank you for reading, you can find out more about visiting Freemasons’ Hall here.

You can find more of London’s incredible historical sights below.