Our History

The Temple Lodge was founded in 1927 when a number of Freemasons who were regular commuters from the Sussex coast to London decided that it would be more prudent to form their own Lodge close to home rather than to spend long evenings in the capital before travelling late at night.

After several exploratory discussions it was decided that the new Lodge would be named in honour of a new meeting room, or Temple, that was planned for the site of the Masonic Club in Queens Road, Brighton.   It was agreed that the Temple Lodge would meet on six Saturdays during between September and April each year, and members would wear evening dress.

Because work on the new meeting place was delayed this new Lodge was consecrated in the famous Royal Pavilion in Brighton on Saturday 17^th December 1927.    Four subsequent meetings were held at the same royal palace before the new building in Queens Road was finally completed.    The main temple in the Sussex Masonic Centre in Brighton was dedicated on Friday 20^th July 1928 and, the following day Temple Lodge became the first Lodge to hold a meeting in the new Temple.

Since then Temple Lodge has continued to meet at that location which now houses the administrative offices of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex as well as dining rooms, rehearsal rooms and a bar.   Meetings are still held on the fourth Saturdays in September, November, January, February, March and April and we still wear dinner suits.   Members continue to enjoy the fellowship of friends old and new, continue to practice the principle of charity and to warmly welcome members of other Lodges.    But most especially, as the Temple Lodge approaches its Centenary, we warmly welcome new members into our fraternity.