Dorset Freemasonry

03/09/2026

The September meeting of Dorset Masters Lodge 3366 saw Stephen James, the Head of Dorset Freemasonry, present Reg Bugler with his certificate of 40 years service.

Those present were treated to a deeply personal account of Reg‘s life both inside and outside of Freemasonry because Steve has known Reg since he was a child, with his father having been great friends with him.

Born bread in Dorset, Reg started work on the estate where the family lived near Lytchett and went on to own a highly successful haulage company, and later a career in property development.

Having attained the chair of his lodge in Blandford, Reg went on to pass through the Royal Arch offices whilst at the same time carving out his Masonic career in Mark masonry, where he holds very high rank.

Dorset Masters Lodge is a daytime Lodge for those who have passed the chair of their Lodge. [email protected] for more information on joining.

Grateful thanks for Mike Parkes.

31/08/2026

Unity at labour and refreshment!

As the summer draws to a close, the Lodge of Unity No. 386 continues to meet, as do three other lodges in Dorset that do not take a summer holiday. At the regular ‘labour’ meeting in August, a demonstration of the first-degree ceremony took place. Nothing unusual, you may think, but the ceremony was a stop-go demonstration led by Adam, the Provincial Learning and Development officer, and members of the 3 Pillars club. The ceremony stopped at various points and an explanation of what had happened, or was about to happen, was delivered. Entertaining, enlightening and a learning experience to old and new members alike.

On the preceding Sunday, the Chairman’s afternoon cream tea in a member’s garden took place. Members and partners attending enjoyed scones, Cornish clotted cream (jam first), and bubbles. The money raised is going towards the lodge's 200th year celebration.

Grateful thanks to Andrew Orridge

23/08/2026

Amazing pictures from last weeks ASHLARS event!

22/08/2026

MusicCraft (a Dorset Masonic Ensemble) visit Buckham Fair!

Following their recent success at the Greenhill Gardens open-air concert in Weymouth, the MusicCraft ensemble was invited by Philippa Clunes to provide live music at the prestigious Buckham Fair.

MusicCraft provided a wide range of live music throughout the event, from blues, jazz and country music to classical pieces, much to the delight of the many thousands of visitors, with plenty of dancing along the way.

Buckham Fair attracts visitors from across Dorset, Devon and Somerset and raises substantial amounts for charity fundraising for Dorset County Hospital

A fantastic event, a great cause and another opportunity for MusicCraft to showcase the talent of its members.

Grateful thanks to Harry Barnes

21/08/2026

Amazing work team ASHLARS!

Nearly 100 young people from across Dorset attended a day of activities at Max Events, completely funded and organised by Dorset Freemasons.

Ashlars is now in in its fifth year, and is an exceptional event and something for all Dorset Freemasons to be proud of.

United Grand Lodge of England

Thank you to everyone who attended Ashlars today. We had a fantastic time and met some truly wonderful people.

Congratulations to our winning team, and to the prize winners for the assault rifle shooting and axe throwing. A special well done also goes to the recipient of the Ashlars Award for the most improved participant throughout the day.

A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers, from Team Leaders and activity support to the food preparation crew and those who stayed behind to help clear up. Ashlars simply wouldn’t happen without you. Team Ashlars salutes you all.

Photos and full details will be uploaded here within the next 48 hours.
Photo: Team Ashlars L to R - Andrew, Phil, Andy and Tony

20/08/2026

Earlier this month, members of Blackmore Vale Lodge 3625 visited Julia’s House Children's Hospice in Corfe Mullen.

During the visit, they handed over a cheque for £554.35, raised at the Lodge’s charity golf day held at the Folke Golf Centre in July.

The visit was one of Julia’s House community days, which give supporters and members of the public the opportunity to tour the hospice and see how donations are used.

It was a very interesting visit and opened our eyes to how much Julia’s House provides that people may not be aware of. As a children’s hospice, they support not only children with life-limiting conditions, but also their parents, siblings and wider family. While they do provide end-of-life care, this is only one part of the vital work they carry out.

Julia’s House has two hospices, in Dorset and Wiltshire, with annual running costs of around £11 million. Only around 8% of this comes from government funding, with the remainder raised through donations.

If you would like to support Julia’s House, their Community Fundraiser, Charlie James, will be happy to help. She can also arrange visits for small groups.

Whilst there, Lawrence also presented Julia’s House with a bundle of TLC teddies.
For any Dorset Lodges looking for a local charity to support, we would wholeheartedly recommend Julia’s House.

More information about their work can be found on their website.
https://www.juliashouse.org/.

Grateful thanks to Trevor Legg

15/08/2026

Congratulations Roger!

Appreciation post! 👏🏼🙌🏻

A breakfast meeting between the PGM, Jon Whitaker and Roger Maber at Swanwick Marina gave a perfect photo opportunity… seen with the Certificate of Distinguished Service to Hampshire & IoW Masonry awarded to Roger by the PGM during the July AGM at Freemasons Hall in London.

Roger has given outstanding service as Provincial Communications Officer over many years and still continues to support the Province in other capacities.

Congratulations Roger and thank you! 🫡

14/08/2026

A group from Brownsea Island Lodge No 9689 met for breakfast in Wimborne on Saturday 8th August, followed by a most informative talk from Stephen Quant on the history of Wimborne, dating from the Iron Age Durotriges Tribe through to the modern Wimborne we see today. On completion of the talk, they were then guided by Stephen around the town, stopping at various historic buildings and sites, including the town’s museum, the Old Corn Market, and the Jubilee Gardens. Of course, no tour of Wimborne would be complete without a visit to the Minster, to view and have explained amongst its many artefacts, the astronomical clock and the chain library.

An enjoyable morning was had by all.

Grateful thanks to Rod Playford

12/08/2026

If you can remember, the start of June was wet and windy. Wind-swept members of Unity ran their usual stall at the summer fete at Zetland Court. Summer arrived properly by the June meeting, which landed right in the middle of the year's third heat wave.

Despite the heat, members pushed through and held a ceremony enabling Matthew and David to take their next steps.

On another hot July evening, Unity held another gathering. It was another heat wave, though not as fierce as June's, with over 40 members and guests attending.

Andy took his next step, coinciding with Ian's final meeting as the Master after many years, before he hands over to Kevin in October, the start of the group's 200th year. Alan, as always, ensured the event ran excellently. Having learnt from June's heat, another salad was served at the meal afterwards. Cheques were also presented to Dorset Blind Association and the Wareham Carnival, with members having run a water-to-wine stall at both events.

Meanwhile, on another extremely hot evening between these meetings, the Chapter of Unity met, and Andy and his team completed a ceremony welcoming Dai and Rob as new members.

At the end of the month, rolling into August, Unity members attended two "My Time Making Memories" events for Dorset Young Carers, Adventure Pirates and Mixed Water Sports. The sun was out, making both events great fun for the young carers and the volunteering members.

For anyone still around this summer, Unity's meeting on 27th August features a talk titled "Introduction to the 1st Degree," given by Adam Perkins, Provincial Grand Learning and Development Officer, supported by members of Unity. If you'd like to attend, please contact the Secretary on [email protected].

Grateful thanks to Andrew Orridge

29/07/2026

Brook House Centenary Celebration.

The Provincial Grand Master, accompanied by his Deputy, the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and array of Grand and Provincial Officers were delighted to help Beaminster Manor Lodge to celebrate the centenary of the Masonic Hall at Brook House.

Brook House has stood on Bridport Road for more than two centuries and has had a surprisingly varied life. It was built as a gentleman’s dwelling and later became a boarding school for girls, run by Miss Mary Ann Warr. Beaminster Manor Lodge bought it in 1926, and it has been the town’s Masonic hall ever since.

Brook House stands just beyond the medieval centre, where Bridport Road and Whitcombe Road were reshaped by the turnpike roads of the 18th century. The River Brit runs close by and influenced the pattern of the roads and properties in this part of the town. The name Brook House almost certainly comes from that connection.

A historic Masonic meeting, followed by some of the finest dining was a fitting celebration of the last 100 years; more than one thousand Masonic meetings, countless other gatherings, constant and committed community engagement from a lodge who demonstrate the values of Freemasonry in all they do.

Many congratulations to Beaminster Manor Lodge and to their members, a huge credit to Freemasonry in general and Dorset Freemasonry in particular.

Grateful thanks to Phil Coxall for the photograph and to Mark Burstow for this write up.