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About United Grand Lodge of England
United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Districts overseas.
The Premier Grand Lodge, which became the United Grand Lodge of England, was founded at the Goose and Gridiron Pub in London in 1717.
UGLE is the governing body for a membership organisation of 170,000 people meeting in more than 7,000 Lodges across the globe. Membership is open to any man over the age of 18 irrespective of their background, race or religion, with students also able to join one of 87 Universities Scheme Lodges.
Our headquarters are at Freemasons’ Hall, a stunning Grade II* listed Art Deco building that proudly stands on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden, London.
It’s an exciting time for UGLE – great strides have been taken to modernise the organisation to become more transparent and better understood by the outside world, as we continue our journey with confidence into the 21st century.
Photography: Kenji Kudo
How are we organised?
Lodges are grouped into 48 Provinces by region, which are roughly based on the old county boundaries, across England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. We also have 32 Districts and four Groups of Lodges that are located overseas.
Our role is to provide structure, guidance and support to our members, while managing the administration of a centuries-old organisation. Freemasons use four important guiding principles to help define their path through life: Integrity, Friendship, Respect, and Service.
How do we operate?
UGLE holds four business meetings a year, known as Quarterly Communication.
UGLE, its Lodges and members operates to a rule book, known as The Book of Constitutions, which was first published in 1723. UGLE also publishes directories of office bearers, committees and Lodges, which are all available at the Shop at Freemasons’ Hall.
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