halley Arches Lodge takes its name from the famous railway structure that passes over the Calder Valley close by the Abbey. It is a daytime lodge meeting at 10.30 am on the second Monday of September, November, March and June. The Installation takes place at the September meeting.

Being a daytime lodge Whalley Arches attracts those Freemasons who find evening meetings difficult to attend.

What’s in a Number ?

Whalley Arches Lodge takes its number from a lodge that first met in Blackburn moving to Darwen in 1986. That lodge was Blackburn Lodge of Temperance, Number 7489.

Minutes of Lodge Meetings held in late 1995 suggest Blackburn Lodge of Temperance, 7489 was struggling to attract new members. One of the reasons given was due to the insistence on enforcing that bye-law which is referred to in the name of of the Lodge, “Temperance“.

There was an emergency meeting held in November, 1995 attended by the District Chairman and his Deputy (both as observers) where the situation was discussed. The main item on the agenda was the future of the Lodge. At this meeting it was pointed out that the then Assistant Provincial Grand Master (APGM) Dr. Ramsden, was unwilling to accept the surrender of a warrant and would do his best to help the Lodge. Several members had stated their intentions to resign at the end of the year, but a “team” of members agreed to take office for the ensuing year but it was clear that at the next regular meeting of the Lodge this was not going to happen.