Clerkenwell Green
The determination of
Masons has seen an historic
court building become a
major Masonic attraction,
as Dorian Price explains.
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Lord Northampton (left)
presents an Armada silver plate
to Ken Latter, chairman of the
Central London Masonic Centre
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A
milestone
achieved
The Central London Masonic Centre occupies a splendid
Grade II Listed building on Clerkenwell Green, very close to
the City of London boundary. This building was originally
the Sessions House, or court building, for the Middlesex
Quarter Sessions.
That London Masons can meet in such splendid surroundings
and enjoy security of tenure is due to a devoted band
of senior Masons. In the mid-1960s many London Lodges
met in hotels and restaurants. They enjoyed no security but
endured ever-increasing charges, and often ejection, when
the owners of the premises found more rewarding uses such
as gambling.
In 1966, New Concord Lodge No. 813 took an initiative
to bring this situation to the notice of London Lodges generally
and to suggest that the acquisition of suitable premises
was the alternative.
“Many days were spent in fruitless search” for these premises
and, indeed, two or three years passed with very little response
from Lodges. Undeterred, however, certain enthusiastic
Masons formed a company – the Central London Masonic
Centre Limited – to continue the search for premises, and the
company was formally brought into existence in January 1970.
Then, in 1975, those Masons lighted upon the Old Sessions
House. Tremendous publicity was given to the building and
the scheme to acquire it. In one publication it was said:
“More than one hundred London Lodges have signed up as founder
members of the new Centre. A further 200 Lodges can be accommodated
and would provide the impetus needed to complete the job quickly to
get the Centre established and operating by early 1979.
“The commitment sought from Lodges is modest – to contribute
£1,500 before the 31st May 1978, and a further £1,500 within four
years. For this, the founder Lodges are assured of the availability of purpose-
developed suites of rooms at reasonable rentals for meetings, plus
catering facilities for meals, also at reasonable costs. Whatever the twin
pressures of inflation and tourism wreak on future London prices and
accommodation, can, thereafter, safely be forgotten.”
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