About the Lodge

Carolgate Lodge is a small lodge that offers all visitors a big welcome and the lodge is proud to embody the Freemason’s core values of integrity, friendship, respect, and charity. The lodge has a passionate, friendly, and growing membership drawn from North Notts and the surrounding area, including members from South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Its diverse membership includes men from a variety of occupations, many of which have worked, or are still working in, the engineering industry. The culture within the lodge is one that welcomes both visitors and new members, as well as encouraging its members to fully embrace the values of freemasonry. This culture has been shaped due to the fact Carolgate Lodge can boast of having many senior and knowledgeable freemasons among its members, most of them held in high regard within the organisation. The lodge is particularly proud of its reputation for good ritual and tries to encourage all new members to engage and learn in a non-judgmental environment.

Carolgate is one of three Masonic lodges that regularly meet at Retford Masonic Hall. The lodge holds 7 meetings a year, 6 regular meetings and a longer meeting (AGM) in May. All meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at Retford Masonic Hall at 6:30pm, except for the May meeting held earlier at 5.30pm. Carolgate regularly holds casual rehearsal meetings on the Friday before to give all members an opportunity to practice their ritual and ask questions. Following lodge meetings all members and visitors are welcome to have a drink at the licensed bar located upstairs and join us for dining. The dinner consists of either 2 or 3 courses, prepared and served by the fantastic catering staff working within the hall, this gives members an opportunity to get to know your brothers in freemasonry and partake in a raffle to raise money for charity. The meal in December is usually open for member’s partners, family, and friends to join the lodge in celebrating the past year with entertainment for all. Like many craft lodges Carolgate has a summer break which commences following our May meeting.

Carolgate is a strong believer in supporting local charities, especially ones with close links to our membership, and makes regular donations to charities including Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance, Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes and Blue Bell Hospice. In addition, lodge members as well as their non-masonic friends and family, are invited to attend a variety of fundraising and social events organised by the Freemasons of Bassetlaw throughout the year, including a summer brass concert at Clumber Park in the past and we have now reinstated the “Last Night at the Proms” which will be staged at Worksop College in February and a ‘Night at the Dogs’ in Sheffield, raising money for good causes.