Upcoming Meetings

St Swithun’s Lodge was founded on 16th May 1974 and meets five times a year on the third Thursday in May (Installation), June, July, September and October. The lodge meetings start at 6:30pm.

The Lodge Logo is (almost) that of the St Swithun’s shrine at Winchester Cathedral. Who was St Swithun? He was the Cathedral’s much-loved Saxon patron saint. It is known that he was born in Winchester around 800, became counsellor to the Saxon kings Egbert and Ethelwulf, and was Bishop of Winchester for the last 10 years of his life. When he died in 863, he was buried in front of the west door of the Saxon Old Minster. Popular legend insists that the monks tried to move St Swithun inside the Old Minster, some nine years after his death. The saint, however, did not approve of his removal from exposure to the elements. There was a clap of thunder and it began to rain for forty days and forty nights!

When the Lodge asked the cathedral in 1974 for permission to use this logo, it was refused. So a local artist (from Kennington) was engaged to make sufficient alterations to it to make it “different” from the original. And that is how our logo came to be as it is today.

The lodge meets in the oak paneled Council Chamber room or Old Magistrates Court room in the Guildhall (which dates back to around 1440) in the Centre of Abingdon. The Guildhall was the civic heart of Abingdon-on-Thames in the 18th and 19th centuries. Part of the front of the building dates from 1400 and the Roysse Room was a school at the time of Mary Tudor, established in 1556. Restored to its former status since transferring back to the town council in 2010, the glorious baroque rooms are now in use for receptions and public events. The Guildhall accommodates six rooms located in the historical section of the building – the Abbey Room, Bear Room, Council Chamber, Old Magistrates’ Court, Roysse Room, and the Mayor’s Parlour. This impressive building with interesting “quirky” rooms and interconnecting passageways give us a wonderful atmosphere to hold our meetings and for dining. Entrance is NOT via the cinema – it is off Bridge Street.