Upcoming Meetings

History of Emblem
The lodge emblem consists of the head of a stag over a rising sun with fir trees and a stream running through the landscape . The scene is surrounded by the Square and Compasses.
The stag was an emblem of the Keyser estate at Aldermaston Court. R.W Bro Charles Edward Keyser, Past Grand Warden, Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Hertfordshire was lord of the manor. The stream still runs today as it did at the time when the name Aldermaston was first mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086.
The sun represents The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) which is built on the Aldermaston Court grounds which earlier was an RAF airfield during the 1939-1945 war.
A.W.E. was first called The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) and had the rising sun as its logo. The logo has had several changes in AWE’s history.

History of Padworth
When the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment was commissioned in the early 1950s Jim Drummond was one of the earliest arrivals. The following year he made contact with other masons he had known previously and an informal discussion group was formed.

They met in a back room of the Hinds Head in Aldermaston Village. Unfortunately the Landlord of the Hinds Head decided that they were not spending enough at the bar so he stopped the use of the back room.

Jim Drummond found his Doctor, J Morland was a member of a London Lodge. Joe Morland introduced his friend Ken Goodman. It was Ken Goodman who arranged for the meetings to be held the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month in the village Hall.

In 1954, the meeting became a Class of Instruction and it was called The Charles Keyser Class of Instruction. The meetings were held regularly but they did not have a Worshipful Brother amongst its members. The class subs were set at £1-5s-0d (£1.15) and 1/- (5p) per meeting. At this time there were 24 to 30 members attending these meetings.

Representation were made to Provincial Grand Lodge to form a Lodge. The Provincial Grand Secretary W.Bro Sidney Collins paid the class a visit. Prov, G. Lodge appointed. W. Bro Horace Dean as Master, W. Bro Arthur Johnson as S.W., W.Bro Fred King as Treasurer, W. Bro Alec Carter as D.C., Bro Alf Short continued as Secretary.

Reports to the Provincial Grand Lodge must have been satisfactory and subject to as least one third of the founders not being employed at A.W.R.E a Lodge could be constituted.

Once the go ahead was receive from Provincial Grand Lodge a meeting was held by the Prospective Founders. The founders fee was set at 30 guineas (£31.50), the annual subscription at 3 1/2 guineas (£3.67), the Initiation Fee 15 guineas (£15.75) plus the annual subscription. The joining fee 5 guineas (£5.25) plus annual subscription. Dining was at the Old Mill and in 1957, dinner cost 7s 6d (£0.37)

On the formation of the Lodge the V.S.L. and organ were donated by a Kent Lodge

The name Aldermaston was an obvious choice for the new lodge but there was already a lodge called Aldermaston, so the Lodge was named after the village next to Aldermaston – Padworth. The mother Lodge was Aldermaston Lodge No. 2760 and the Grand Mother Lodge was The Loyal Berkshire Lodge of Hope No. 574.

Lodge Profile
Padworth 7505 is a well-known and respected provisional lodge at the edge of Berkshire/Hampshire serving the Tadley and surrounding areas. We are at our core a diverse group of peoples from all walks of life and experience with their associated personal interests and the collective spirit to serve and support not only each other but the community at large. That is to say we are a ‘collective group from the community who serve the community’; and whilst that may not make us unique as a lodge it necessarily follows that it is our strength; we are always keen to support our community in need and developing our own people to develop themselves as better human beings in all things, that being one of the fundamentals of what freemasons are about and advertising that ethos to the community at large.
Expanding upon the experience and personal interests we are actively involved in sport with many of our people keen to share their knowledge and stories. We explore and enjoy nature and wildlife, we visit ancient places in the area, we tinker and work or cars, play golf, clay pigeon shooting, fishing to name but a few activities…
As a lodge we are very much a traditional society who undertake our activities in the same location that being the village hall where it was first formed in 1957, with said hall being actually funded by masons for masons and primarily serving the local community. We pride ourselves on being a warm and fraternal group of people who don’t take ourselves too seriously. Whilst being traditional in our roots we are modern in our outlook.
We meet 6 times a year to undertake our ritual and regularly meet on a social basis to help our peers and community in charitable activities and general good causes.