The earliest records of a masonic lodge working in Berkshire date from 1725 when nineteen Freemasons met in the Mitre tavern next to St Lawrence’s Church in the Market Place in Reading and the first county leader (Provincial Grand Master) was appointed in 1773. The two oldest lodges still meeting in the county today were formed in 1813 and 1833 and in 1859, the Windsor Castle Lodge was consecrated:
Windsor Castle Lodge (771)
Consecrated on 16 Feb. 1859
Meeting places:
Castle Hotel, High Street, Windsor, Berkshire 1859
Masonic Hall, Church Lane, Windsor, Berkshire 1864
(Note: Was originally Lodge Number 1073 in 1832)
A petition was raised and in 1881, the Herschel Lodge was consecrated, sponsored by members of the Windsor Castle Lodge.
Herschel (1894)
Consecrated on 14 Sept. 1881
Meeting places:
Mechanics’ Institute, Church Road, Slough, Buckinghamshire 1881
Liverd’s Rooms, High Street, Slough, Buckinghamshire 1881
Masonic Rooms, High Street, Slough, Buckinghamshire 1882
Masonic Hall, Leopold Institute, High Street, Slough, Buckinghamshire 1888
Masonic Hall , Church Street , Slough, Buckinghamshire , England 1966
Masonic Centre , Ragstone Road , Slough, Buckinghamshire , England 1974
In 1945, a petition was raised by members of Herschel Lodge and the Observatory Lodge was consecrated, sponsored by members of the Herschel Lodge.
Observatory (6094)
Consecrated 20th June 1945
Meeting places:
Masonic Hall, Slough, Buckinghamshire, England 1945
Masonic Hall, Church Street, Slough, Buckinghamshire, England 1952
Masonic Hall, Ragstone Road, Slough, Buckinghamshire, England 1970
In 1966 members of the Observatory Lodge decide that the Lodge was sufficiently strong to support the creation of a daughter lodge, thus the ‘Planet’ Lodge (No. 8142) was consecrated on 14th April 1967.
Planet (8142)
Consecrated 14th April 1967
Meeting places:
Masonic Hall , Church Street , Slough, Buckinghamshire , England 1966
Masonic Centre , Ragstone Road , Slough, Buckinghamshire , England 1974