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FREEMASONRY IN CHORLEY AND DISTRICT

Chorley and District Group was formed in July 1974 and consists of twenty six lodges meeting in three Masonic Halls in the towns of Chorley, Horwich and Westhoughton. Several of the lodge names reflect historical local associations, personalities and churches.

Freemasonry has existed in Chorley since the establishment of Atholl Lodge No. 238, meeting at the Swan with Two Necks in 1788. Masons still lived in Chorley but must have met outside the town as on 14 May 1857 a meeting was held to establish a Masonic lodge in the town. Ellesmere Lodge, meeting at the Red Lion Hotel, was finally consecrated in March 1858 and given the number 1032. Six years later saw the consecration of a daughter lodge, Townley Parker. Both lodges eventually moved to rooms in the Town Hall. Some years later they removed to the Imperial Hotel and the brewery built a suite of rooms for Masonic use at the rear of the hotel in Fellery Street. Eventually, a new home was found and bought in Cunliffe Street. This had been a Methodist Chapel and School and needed extensive alterations to make it suitable for Masonic use. It was finally officially opened on 4 January 1971 by the Provincial Grand Master of the time.

Ridgmont House is at present the home of Horwich Masonry, situated off the Chorley Old Road. Built in 1800 by Thomas Ridgway, a local industrialist, one of his two sons, Joseph, a benefactor to Horwich, took over the residence on the death of his father in 1816. Horwich Masonry started in the Spring of 1889 when a group of Masons decided that the time was right to consider forming a Masonic lodge for the convenience of brethren residing in the immediate neighbourhood. A meeting convened at the Crown Hotel, Horwich on 29 May 1889 decided to form a lodge. This resulted in the founding of Horwich Lodge on 13 November 1889. In January 1979 the lodges moved to Ridgmont House. At last, Horwich Masons had their own home and no longer had to meet in a tavern.

"Brookfield" the Westhoughton Masonic Hall is located just off Church Street. It is a superb building in its own grounds and has extensive and secure car-parking. The first lodge, Westhoughton No. 4215 was consecrated on 13 April 1921.

In 1989 the main dining and function room was extensively damaged by fire which fortunately did not extend to the lodge room. The large re-structured dining room, which seats 200, is considered to be one of the finest in the Province. Recently the building has undergone substantial extension and a new wing has been added. The hall now boast two lodge rooms, a Chapter or "smaller degrees" room, a small practice lodge room, two new committee rooms and a large robing room.

Following the closure of Wigan’s town-centre Masonic Hall the majority of its lLodges moved to the three halls on the town’s periphery, Hindley, Ashton-in-Makerfield and Pemberton. Three Lodges, however, decided to move into the Chorley Group and the group has been delighted to welcome the Lodge of Antiquity No 178 which now meets at Horwich and The Peace Lodge No 2269 and Greenhill Lodge No 6260, both of which meet at Westhoughton

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