Brotherly Love
Tolerance and respect for the opinions of others, and kindness and understanding to all. Freemasonry brings together men of every background and belief, and asks them to meet as equals.
The Lodge
Wythall Lodge was consecrated on 9 September 1937 and has carried on quietly ever since, doing what lodges do best: making good men better, and enjoying one another’s company while doing so. Our members are drawn from Birmingham, Solihull and the villages of north Worcestershire, and we meet at the Masonic centre in Knowle.
We are a sociable and unpretentious lodge. Our members range from their twenties to their eighties and come from every walk of life—tradesmen, teachers, engineers, businessmen, the retired and the just-getting-started. Some have been Masons for fifty years; others took their first step last season. What they share is a wish to be part of something older and larger than themselves.
Our history
The Lodge was consecrated on 9 September 1937, in the same year that the Masonic Hall at Kings Heath first opened its doors, and it met there for the better part of nine decades before moving to its present home at Knowle. The hundredth meeting of the Lodge was celebrated on 20 March 1952, and in September 2012 the Lodge hosted a celebration marking seventy-five years of Freemasonry at the Moseley Masonic Hall. The Master has been installed at the October meeting since at least 1946.
The Worcestershire Masonic Library and Museum holds some twenty items relating to the Lodge, among them the jewels of the consecrating officers, a founders’ jewel, and summonses and toast lists reaching back to the 1940s.
The Three Grand Principles
Relief
Charity towards those in need—practised not preached. Freemasons give both money and time, to Masonic and non-Masonic causes alike, and have done so for three centuries.
Truth
High moral standards in public and private life. A Freemason strives to be a man of honesty and integrity, and the Lodge provides the structure and the example to help him become one.
Meetings
The Lodge meets on the third Monday of the month from October to April, December excepted, at Knowle Masonic Centre. The lodge is opened at 5.45 pm and the meeting is followed by dinner at the festive board.
Programme for the season
Details of the work at each meeting appear on the summons. Visiting brethren should contact the Secretary, who will confirm the ceremony, dress and dining arrangements.
Where we meet
Knowle Masonic Centre
1621 Warwick Road, Knowle
Solihull B93 9LF
© OpenStreetMap contributors
There is parking at the Centre. Please let us know in advance of any accessibility needs and we will gladly assist.
Becoming a Freemason
Men have been asking to join lodges for over three hundred years, and the way in has not changed much: you ask, we talk, and if it suits both sides, you join. There is no mystery about it and no hurry either. If you have been searching for a Masonic lodge in Birmingham or Solihull, or simply wondering how one becomes a Freemason, Wythall Lodge is a welcoming place to start.
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I
Write to us. A short email to the Secretary is all that is needed. Tell us a little about yourself and what has drawn you to Freemasonry.
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II
Meet us. We will invite you to join us socially—a drink, a meal, a chance to meet the members and ask anything you like, with no obligation on either side.
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III
Take your time. If the Lodge feels right for you, and you for the Lodge, we will guide you through the application. Most men are initiated within a few months of first getting in touch.
Who may join? Any man of good character aged eighteen or over, of any faith or background, who professes a belief in a Supreme Being. Freemasonry is not a religion, and the discussion of religion and politics within the Lodge is forbidden.
Read our full guide: Becoming a Freemason in Birmingham & Solihull →
Charity
Relief is one of the principles on which Freemasonry stands, and Wythall Lodge takes it seriously—though rarely solemnly. James Bond nights, raffles, Six Nations trips, clay shoots and on one memorable occasion a walk across hot coals have all raised funds for causes including:
We have also supported Sponsor a Soldier, prostate cancer screening days and Children with Cancer, among others.
Lodge Administration
Wythall Lodge is proud to manage its summons, meetings, visitors, officer progression and accounts with Emulation Companion, a lodge management system built around UK Craft Emulation workings. It has replaced our spreadsheets and paper, and left more time for the ritual and the brethren.
If your lodge is still juggling spreadsheets, group chats and paper summons, we can recommend it without hesitation.
Questions Often Asked
How do I join the Freemasons in Birmingham or Solihull?
Email our Secretary to start the conversation. Wythall Lodge draws its members from Birmingham, Solihull and north Worcestershire, and meets at Knowle Masonic Centre—ten minutes from Solihull town centre and about half an hour from central Birmingham. We will invite you to meet us socially first, with no obligation on either side.
What is Freemasonry?
One of the world’s oldest social and charitable organisations. Its members are taught its principles by a series of ritual dramas, using the customs and tools of the medieval stonemasons as allegorical guides. Beneath the ceremony it is, quite simply, a society of friends.
Is it a religion, or political?
Neither. Freemasonry requires a belief in a Supreme Being but is not a religion and offers no path to salvation. The discussion of both religion and politics at lodge meetings is forbidden, which is one reason men of very different views remain friends within it.
What happens at a meeting?
Formal business—minutes, accounts, ballots—and ceremonial work, followed by dinner together at the festive board, which many members would tell you is half the point.
What does it cost?
An annual subscription, dining fees for the meetings you attend, and such charitable giving as your circumstances allow—and no more than that. The Secretary will give you exact figures; there are no hidden costs.
I am already a Mason. May I visit?
You will be most welcome. Write to the Secretary with your lodge details and we will confirm the work, dress and dining for the meeting you wish to attend.
The Social Side
Freemasonry is not all aprons and ancient charges. Wives, partners, families and friends join us through the year for dinners, dances and themed evenings—most recently a James Bond casino night, complete with black tie, gaming tables and a dance floor that saw heavy use. These evenings raise money for our charities and are, frankly, half the reason people keep coming back.
From our James Bond casino night. Click any photograph to see it in full.