Who We Are
St.Wilfrid Lodge is one of 200 Masonic Lodges in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, within the United Grand Lodge of England.

We meet at Castle Grove Masonic Hall, in Headingley, Leeds.
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Our Members
Currently, we have around 35 members including 15 Provincial Grand Officers.

We include lawyers, accountants, property developers, builders, financial advisers, manufacturers, surveyors, doctors, teachers and IT specialists, as well as other occupations.
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Who Will You Meet
We are one of the most diverse Lodges in Leeds, from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Our age range extends from the early thirties to the late eighties, some having been members for 40 or more years.
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Friendship
We believe that an important part of being a Mason is to visit other Lodges, to witness their ceremonies, and to welcome Masons from other Lodges, which includes those in the UK and abroad which are recognised by The United Grand Lodge of England.
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Socials and Activities

Brethren on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge

A hallmark of St. Wilfrid Lodge is its lively social programme, designed to bring members, their partners, families and friends together throughout the year.

We take pride in welcoming everyone. Freemasonry for us is about friendship as much as fraternity.

The line-up of our calendar is always enjoyable. You will find murder mystery evenings, Antiques Roadshow-style valuation nights, country walks that invariably finish at a welcoming pub, curry nights, summer barbecues, formal lodge dinners, golf and bowling tournaments.

Many of these events double as charity fundraisers, allowing us to support good causes while enjoying excellent company and memorable occasions.

Personal Growth and Fraternity

Everyone these days seems to be chasing self-improvement. Podcasts, apps, life coaches, it's everywhere. Freemasons have quietly been doing it for hundreds of years!

At St. Wilfrid you’ll take part in “the Craft” in the truest sense: a tried-and-tested system that encourages you to become a better man. Steadier for your family, stronger for your community, and more at peace with yourself.

Modern life throws more at us than ever, but inside the lodge you’ll find timeless wisdom delivered with a good dose of Yorkshire humour and straight-talking common sense.

This isn’t solitary soul-searching. It’s done shoulder-to-shoulder with a genuine fraternity of men who will challenge you when needed and cheer you on when you get it right.

Over time you’ll notice the difference: greater confidence, sharper judgement, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing you’re living up to something bigger than yourself.

Lodge Meetings and Ceremony

We meet most Thursday evenings throughout the year, taking a break only in August and over the Christmas period. Meetings starting at 6.30 pm and usually finishing around 10 pm

Many of these are relaxed practice evenings: a friendly, informal setting where we prepare and rehearse the ceremonies together.

On the second Thursday of each month we hold our formal lodge meeting. This is when we wear full regalia and the ancient symbols and allegories of Freemasonry come vividly to life.

The ritual remains as powerful and thought-provoking as ever.Every meeting, formal or informal, ends the way we like best: gathered together with drinks, good food and easy conversation that strengthens the bonds between us.

Tradition with meaning, friendship at its heart, faith and works, that’s St. Wilfrid.

The History of St. Wilfrid Lodge

The end of the war in 1945 saw a great increase in masonic activity, as members returned to their Lodges and waiting lists for admission started to appear.

Castle Grove Masonic Hall was released from Government requisition, however only the Temple and one other room could be used.

St. Michael's Lodge No 4353 was extremely active at this time and there was a strong feeling that they should form a daughter Lodge. They had 81 members and a two-year waiting list. Practice nights had an attendance of 40 members and the length of time it took to become Master was growing longer and longer.

After much discussion, on the 23 September 1946 it was decided "to petition for a new Lodge, to be named St Wilfrid, be approved, and the Master and Wardens sign it". This was carried unanimously. The petition was then sent to Grand Lodge and approved on the 6th November, with John Edward Gimblett to be first Master. Herbert Prentice the first Senior Warden and Raymond Curry the first Junior Warden.

It was felt by the Founders that they should follow the example of St Michael's and choose the name of a local Saint for the new Lodge.

St Wilfrid was born in Yorkshire, ordained in Ripon and studied for some years in Rome. He was responsible for the building of many churches in the country, including the Abbeys of Hexham and Ripon, as well as beautifying the Cathedral Church of York, where he followed St Chad. What is not generally appreciated is that there arose a serious disagreement between the Celtic clergy of the North and the South regarding the ritual used in Churches. This came to a head at the Synod of Whitby in AD 664 where St Wilfrid, with his experience in Rome, laid down the format for religious worship in the Churches of today.

The new Lodge was finally consecrated on the 10th March 1947 at Castle Grove Masonic Hall exactly 25 years after St Michael's was itself formed from Headingley Lodge.

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