• Warrants and Master’s Chair

    Looking towards the Master's Chair

  • Kneeling Stool 1902

    Kneeling Stool

  • Display Cabinets 1960

    Display cabinets

  • Mosaic Carpet 1897

    Mosaic Carpet

  • Original Chairs 1898

    Original Lodge Seating

  • Black and White Voting Balls

    White and black voting balls
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Abbey Lodge owes its magnificent and unique Lodge Room and premises (now used by several other Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters too) to the generosity and foresight of the members of the Whalley Union Club. It was at a meeting of the Union Club shareholders on 22nd September 1896 when agreement was reached that their premises could be used by Abbey Lodge and that an extension in the form of a Lodge Room be built at the rear of the building.

Each shareholder of the Union Club agreed to pay £3 for each share they held, a total of 170 shares, to cover the cost of the building (£510). Abbey Lodge would be charged an annual rent of £15 6s 0d. Abbey Lodge, prior to the building being completed, continue to hold their meetings at the Whalley Arms.

First Meeting in the Lodge Room

This was held on the 13th May 1897 and it has been used continuously ever since with the May meeting of Abbey Lodge being the Installation Meeting.

The extent of the bond that existed between the members of the Union Club and Abbey Lodge even up to the dissolution of the Club can be seen by their generosity in selling the buildings, which also included a shop and cottage, to the members of Abbey Lodge in 1960 for the princely sum of £1500. Indeed, those shareholders of the Union Club who were also Abbey Lodge members donated their share of the sale proceedings to the Club funds.

Following the sale of the property by the Whalley Union Club Company Limited to Messrs E. S. Green, H Dellow, J. H. M. Postlethwaite and F Cotterill, these Brethren then executed a Declaration of Trust, the same four Brethren of Abbey Lodge becoming the first Trustees. Since that time, the number of Trustees has been increased to six, the Trustees being appointed from the Brethren of Lodges and Chapters who now meet in the building.

The “front room” of the building was rented to a local man who used the facilities as a “Barbers Shop” but this was later transformed into what was the Grand and Provincial Officer’s Changing Room but is now referred to as the Lift Room.

The original purchase was funded by interest free loans given by Lodge members and a loan from the East Lancashire Masonic Benevolent Institution. These were repaid on the sale of the adjoining cottage.

Lodge Furniture

Visitors to the Lodge Rooms are immediately struck by the magnificent oak carved panels that adorn the room and furniture within.

The timber is said to be over 300 years old having originally been taken from Whalley Abbey and used in the building of the old Vicarage in Whalley. It was then taken from there to furnish what initially was Abbey’s Lodge Room now happily shared with other Lodges and Chapters.

The chairs of the Worshipful Master, the Senior and Junior Wardens and the three pedestals together with other furniture were all hand carved by a local carpenter, “Young” James Langshaw (1865 – 1922) who was a member of Limestone Rock Lodge of Clitheroe.

  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro W Forrest
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro T Longworth
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro T H Thompson
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro T E Thompson
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro S Peebles
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro S Peebles
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro R Thompson
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro R Green
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro RET Livsey
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro L G Mitchell
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro J R Thompson
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro J N Withers
  • Chair 1900 presentation plaque - Bro J Newton
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro J Kemp
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro J Hargreaves
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro A Birtwistle
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro A M Hanson
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro A Longworth
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro C P S Sharples
  • Chair 1898 presentation plaque - Bro D Kemp

Donations of Lodge Furniture

by Abbey Lodge Members

Item Donated Date
Officers Collars Founder Members 1894
Jewels & Gauntlets Founder Members 1894
Alms Box W. Bro. J R Thompson 1894
Oak Frame for Warrant W. Bro. Colonel Le Gendre N Starkie 1896
Photograph of Founders W. Bro. J Hargreaves 1897
Lodge Chairs Bros:-
J Hargreaves, A Longworth, 1898
See Rotating Chair Plaques (left) J N Withers, R Livesey, 1898
La Gendre N Starkie, W Forrest, 1898
C P S Sharples, R Thompson, 1898
J R Thompson, T H Thompson, 1898
A M Hanson, R Green, L G Mitchell, 1898
T Longworth, W Bear, 1898
J Kemp, D Kemp, S Peebles, 1898
A Birtwhistle, T E Thompson, 1898
J Newton. 1900
Original Banner W. Bro. A Longworth 1902
Carved Cupboards W. Bro. R Thompson 1901
Kneeling Stool Bro. A Thompson 1902
Frame For Photo of Colonel Starkie W. Bro. T H Thompson 1902
Wardens Columns W. Bro. R Livesey 1903
Worshipful Master’s Cushion Mr & Mrs W J Whittaker (Whalley Arms Hotel) 1903
R Thompson W. Bros J R Thompson,
T H Thompson, A Thompson		 1904
Illuminated List of Founders W. Bro. A Thompson 1907
Wall Plaque Bro. T A Aspden 1910
Carved Chapiters & Pillars W. Bro. H M Aspden & T A Aspden 1915
Jewel Case W. Bro. T H Thompson 1928
Illuminated List of Past Masters W. Bro. J Davis 1930
New Collars & Guantlets Bro. H C Worswick 1950
Jewel Case W. Bro. J H M Postlethwaite 1960

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