Hoyle Court, Baildon

There are occasional 'Heritage Open Days' when buildings that are normally not open to the public throw open their doors to guests. On one recent day, I decided to visit Hoyle Court Masonic Hall in Baildon. I don't think I've ever been inside a Masonic Lodge before, but this one is an interesting building anyway.

It is a Queen Anne-style, Edwardian Baroque house built by the wealthy Bradford Mill owner, Mr. Sam Ambler between 1910 and 1912 for his wife, Emily Beatrice. Sam Ambler was a descendant of Jeremiah Ambler, who established the Bradford company Jeremiah Ambler and Sons Ltd in 1789, at a time when Bradford was one of the great powerhouses of the textile industry. They were spinners and weavers of all kinds of wool and hair, but the company specialised in producing quality mohair from the Angora goat.

It seemed a nice sized house, not too big or grand, but with a certain elegance. It used to have extensive grounds. There was once an aviary with tropical birds and a monkey house. It's said that Sam bought a foul-mouthed green parrot from a sailor. The bird lived in the kitchen, but one day, the cook was so disgusted with its language that she put it in the corridor. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately from the cook's perspective) it caught a cold and died!

Sam Ambler died in 1948. In 1949, his widow Emily decided to move to the United States to be near the rest of her family who had emigrated in 1937, and Hoyle Court was bought by the Freemasons in 1953.

Hoyle Court remains a thriving Masonic centre and is one of the three largest in the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding, currently home to 12 Masonic Craft Lodges, five Royal Arch Chapters, one Knights Templar Preceptory and a Rose Croix Chapter (don't ask me what all that means!) - as well as other functions like wedding receptions and corporate events. The upstairs landing has many boards listing past Worshipful Masters of the Lodges, with photographs and memorabilia.

I really know very little about the Freemasons but I was escorted around the building by one member who was able to tell me quite a lot about their history and rituals. Freemasonry consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to medieval guilds of stonemasons. It is considered the oldest existing secular fraternal organisation, with documents and traditions dating back to the 14th century. Its principles include love and caring for each other: tolerance and respect for family, other people and all creatures; charity; striving for high personal standards. It is held not to be 'a religion' but members are expected to believe in a Supreme Deity and they have a Bible or other religious book open in the Temple during meetings. They wear a kind of uniform (below), rooted in the use of aprons by stonemasons, with varying decorations according to what level they have studied and achieved: Entered Apprentice, Journeyman or Master Mason. The meetings are highly ritualistic and may include lectures or philosophical study and discussion. Of course, the secretive nature of some of their business has inevitably led to rumour, conspiracy theories, misunderstandings and some distrust among wider society - and I guess despite their professed high standards, it must sometimes be difficult to enforce them. 

In 1957 the Freemasons sold a painting that had been left in the Hoyle Court house and, from the proceeds, built an extension that became their largest Temple (below). It is indeed a grand room that can hold 180 members. Apparently all of their temples are laid out in exactly the same way and contain many symbols. It does all seem arcane and not a little like some kind of early 'Dungeons and Dragons' type game (not that I understand that either!) but the social network and support between Masons, and the charitable donations they make, are very real and significant. 

Many of the symbols of Freemasonry, such as the well known 'square and compasses', are drawn from the tools used by stonemasons. 

Hoyle Court also has a smaller Temple called the Egyptian Room, which has furnishings and paintings brought from, or in some cases recreated to resemble, the original Baildon Masonic rooms.

It was all very fascinating and I'm grateful for the chance to see inside this lovely building and get a glimpse into Freemasonry. I have to say that the gentleman who showed me round was kindness itself and I was made to feel very welcome.