Page 13 - EssexMason (Issue 89)online_version

Provincial

Walden Lodge

150 years in the making

he history of Walden Lodge dates back to 1869 when, at that time, there were no facilities for Freemasonry whatsoever in this part of
Essex with the nearest Essex Lodge located in Chelmsford and the only other alternatives were in Bishop Stortford, in the province of
THertfordshire, or Cambridge, in the Province of Cambridgeshire. With a growing interest in Freemasonry it was inevitable that sooner or
later steps would be taken to form a Lodge in Saffron Walden.
A series of preliminary meetings were held at The Rose and Crown Hotel in Market Square, Saffron Walden, later to become Walden
Lodge’s first “home”.
The petition to form a Lodge was recommended and supported by two Lodges, these being The Stortford Lodge No. 409 in
the Province of Hertfordshire and The Three Grand Principles Lodge No. 44, from the Province of
Rose and Crown Hotel Cambridgeshire. The petition was successful, and Walden Lodge, No. 1280 received its warrant on the
16th November 1869. The Lodge was opened at 2pm in the three degrees by Bro. Arthur Goodchild,
Provincial Grand Deacon. The R.W. Provincial Grand Master of Essex, Bro. Robert J Bagshaw MP and
his consecration team were received with traditional honours, it was noted that after the meeting
ended and at 5.30pm twenty-six brethren sat down to a banquet costing 10s 6d per head which is
almost £60 in today’s money.
With the onset of the first world war in 1914 it proved to be a difficult time for Freemasonry and for
Walden Lodge with both the Rose and Crown Hotel and the Town Hall comandered for use by the
army, locations for meetings were difficult to arrange and it was decided that after forty-six years
Walden Lodge ended its association with the Rose and Crown Hotel and, in 1916, moved to St Mary’s
Church Parish Rooms.
However In April 1927 Walden Lodge was given the option to purchase the freehold of number two,
Church Street, Saffron Walden a furniture repository owned by the Stansted Furnishing Company and
after estimates were obtained to convert the building into a Temple with Dining room the purchase
was agreed at the princely sum of £633 11s 2d, (equivalent today as just over £40,000), the cost to
rebuild, reconstruct and purchase furniture added another £1,512 15s 1d, (£95,750). It should be noted
that speed of this work was quite remarkable as on the 10th November 1927, seven months later, the
Ceremony of Dedication of the Temple was carried out by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master W. Bro
Dr J. H. Salter D.L., J.P., PGD assisted by W.Bro Brig-Gen R. B. Colvin C.B. PGW and other Provincial
Officers Joseph Bell, a builder who had a distinguished career as a Saffron Walden councillor, Alderman
and Mayor, (Mayor, ten times between 1877 and 1909), was appointed the very first Master of The Lodge
and his portrait, painted by W.Bro George Foster still hangs in the building, one of the few artefacts to
survive the dreadful fire, in July 1999, that destroyed the majority of Freemasons Hall.

The fire, which consumed the roof, the Temple and part of the robing room destroyed the majority of its
contents and it was to take two years before the building was rebuilt and refurbished. Over time various
items, mainly ‘specialised’ furniture was located and replaced, and the Temple and hall was finally re-
dedicated on the 26th October 2001.
In 1905 Walden Lodge introduced Royal Arch masonry to Saffron Walden and Walden Chapter No.
1280 was consecrated on the 14th June 1905 in the Province of Essex and is the 11th oldest
Chapter still meeting regularly. Indeed, Walden Lodge was to promote Freemasonry further
by jointly sponsoring, with Etheldreda Lodge (Newmarket), our first daughter Lodge, Granta
No. 6179 which was consecrated in 1945. Walden Lodge was to sponsor another three
Lodges, two of which still meet at Freemasons Hall, Saffron Walden, the other one meets at
Bury Lodge, Stansted, they are:
• Stansted Mountfitchet Lodge No. 6230 consecrated in 1946,
• Audley Lodge, (Saffron Walden), No. 7281 consecrated in 1953 and
• Elsenham Lodge, (Saffron Walden), No. 8973 consecrated in 1981

One hundred and fifty years after receiving its warrant Walden Lodge, No. 1280 held its sesquicentenary meeting in the presence
of the R. W. Provincial Grand Master of Essex, Rodney Lister Bass OBE and his accompanying Provincial team. During the meeting
the Lodge was called off and a short ‘play’ was given, led by W. Bro Graham Newman, (not in picture), depicting an image of how
Walden Lodge may have come into being. Unlike in 1869 when twenty-six brethren dined after its inaugural meeting, fifty-seven
brethren enjoyed the festive board afterwards at an average cost of £26.00 per head.
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