Masonic lodge and museum to open for free as part of heritage festival

THE Henley Masonic Centre, home to the town’s oldest Masonic order, will open its doors to the public this weekend as part of a national Heritage Open Days festival.

Visitors can tour the building in Reading Road free of charge and can explore the history, traditions and role of Freemasonry.

Members of the order will be there, wearing their traditional Masonic regalia, and they will be on hand to answer questions and share insights into the history and symbolism of Freemasonry. The purpose-built Thames Lodge building was constructed in 1890 on a site given by Freemason W D Mackenzie and is not normally open to the public.

Freemasonry has long-played a role in public life in Henley, with ceremonies including the laying of the foundation stone for the new town hall in 1899, and the opening of the war memorial hospital in 1922.

Previous members of the order include Major Valentine Fleming, the father of authors Peter Fleming and Ian Fleming, who was killed in action during the First World War. The centre will be open from 10am to 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) and on Sunday.

The national Heritage Open Days festival began last Friday and ends on Sunday. It celebrates the country’s history and culture by opening doors to places that are often closed to the public.

A heritage open day event will also be held at the River & Rowing Museum in Mill Meadows this weekend, where the museum will open to visitors free of charge.

The Caversham and District Residents Association (CADRA) took part in the festival last weekend and presented a programme of speeches on the theme of “bridges, buildings and bees”.

Helen Lambert, president of the association, gave a talk on the history of Reading’s two bridges across the Thames.

There has been a crossing from South Oxfordshire since the 12th century and the existing bridge at Caversham will celebrate its centenary next year.

The talk was followed by a speech organised by Richard Bennett, of the Reading Civic Society, who introduced Eleanor Pinches, education officer for the Royal Meteorological Society.

Ms Pinches outlined the 175-year history of the society and emphasised the importance of greater education on knowledge of weather systems and climate change.

The final speaker was Jenny Morgan, education officer of the Reading Beekeepers Association, who gave an overview of the hobby and explained the importance of bees to global ecosystems. The day’s events also included a “Look, Build, Draw” drop-in workshop at Caversham Court Gardens and tours of Caversham Baptist Church, which hosted the speeches and presentations.

Nick Haskins, who chairs the association, said: “These events are hugely important in allowing the community to learn about its heritage and the issues which impact it.

“A huge thank-you to all of the speakers and volunteers who made this event such a success.”