A temple of arcane mysteries
Among the patchwork of small-scale buildings in Covent Garden, a stone colossus rises abruptly above its surroundings. This is Freemasons’ Hall, home of the United Grand Lodge, headquarters of British Freemasonry and a worldwide association of lodges. Although Freemasons are often regarded with suspicion as a secret society, they give a friendly welcome to all at Freemasons’ Hall, displaying its opulent interior and a museum of memorabilia.
The United Grand Lodge was founded in 1717. It originally held its meetings in taverns or the halls of livery societies, until in 1776 the Freemasons built their own hall in Great Queen Street. The present building, the third, was inaugurated in 1933. Its massiveness is oppressive, both inside and outside. On the smooth stone of the façade can be seen the symbols of Freemasonry, the square and compasses. Within, dimly lit corridors painted in sombre colours lead to the museum, which expounds the history of the organisation with a display of heavy furniture, ceremonial dress and swords, glass, silver, porcelain and great numbers of medals.
Info
Address 60 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5AZ | Public Transport Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line) | Hours Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, tours 11am, noon, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm | Tip A restaurant to match the Freemasons’ conservative tradition is Rules (35 Maiden Lane, tel. 0207/8365314, Mon–Sat noon–11.45pm, Sun noon–10.45pm). Founded in 1798, Rules serves British food, especially game and roast beef.
Tours admit visitors to a dressing room dominated by three thrones and portraits of grand masters, who are drawn from the high aristocracy or the royal family – since 1967, a cousin of the Queen, the Duke of Kent, has held the position. The three-metre-high central throne was made in 1790 for the short, corpulent Prince Regent, who must have been a comic figure when he perched on it. A shrine to the war dead and a stained-glass memorial window representing the attainment of peace through sacrifice can be admired, before huge bronze doors open to reveal the inner sanctum: the Grand Temple with 1725 seats banked around the grand master’s throne. The eye of God looks down on proceedings from a magnificent painted ceiling, and thick walls screen the ceremonies from any other eyes.
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