Berkshire Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic library and museum at the Berkshire Masonic Centre near Wokingham, with about 3,500 objects and a large book collection.

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About the museum

The Berkshire Library and Museum of Freemasonry was founded in 1896 at the Masonic Hall in Reading by members of Grey Friars Lodge No. 1101, with help from other Reading lodges. In 1969 it moved to the Berkshire Masonic Centre at Sindlesham, near Wokingham. For some years the collections were kept in storage until a room could be allocated for them.

A second room was acquired in 2002 and was set up as the museum. The library and museum were refurbished and reopened in May 2019.

The library is mainly meant for the members of the Province of Berkshire, but it is also used by members of the public who want information about Freemasonry or about the Masonic membership of an ancestor. It holds more than 20,000 books, including some rare editions, and receives the published transactions of research lodges from around the world. Items can be searched on a public computer in the library.

The museum holds about 3,500 objects, some more than 200 years old. They include ceramics, glassware, regalia, jewels and many small pieces such as gavels, watches and paperweights. One of the special pieces is the Berkshire Hart Egg, a limited edition of only 33 made for the Ancient and Accepted Rite. The Friends of the Library and Museum support the collection with a small annual donation.

Highlights

Library with more than 20,000 books on Freemasonry
About 3,500 museum objects including ceramics, glassware and regalia
Berkshire Hart Egg, a limited edition of 33
Public search computer for Masonic research and family history