About Sir William Harpur Lodge

Who we are

Sir William Harpur Lodge No. 2343 is a Craft Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England and part of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bedfordshire. We meet at The Keep, Bedford Road, Kempston, which is home to many Lodges and other Masonic orders in the Bedford area.

Our members come from all walks of life. What we share is an interest in self-improvement, in friendship, and in helping others, and a good dinner after the ceremony.

We are known for a very good standard of ritual, delivered with the sense of humour that makes every meeting enjoyable. As one of the oldest Lodges in the Province we have our own workings, which makes the Lodge an interesting one to visit.

Our commitment

We want every brother to feel equally valued, whatever his rank or status in the Lodge. We support each member's personal and Masonic growth with mentoring, a strong Lodge of Instruction and a clear path from one office to the next, so that brotherly love stays at the centre of all we do.

We also keep faith with our past. We are reintroducing the tradition of reading the minutes of the meeting held 100 years earlier, so that today's members hear how the Lodge worked a century ago.

The three degrees

A new member is initiated as an Entered Apprentice, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft and raised to the degree of Master Mason. Each ceremony is a short allegorical play with its own lessons. Each year the brethren elect a Master, who is installed in February and leads the Lodge for the year.

Royal Arch

Many Master Masons go on to join a Royal Arch Chapter, which completes the story begun in the Craft degrees. Several Chapters meet at The Keep and members of the Lodge are happy to introduce you.