A MASONIC lodge in York city centre will be opening its doors to the general public later this month to mark Freemasonry’s 300th anniversary.

Duncombe Place Masonic Hall, situated in Duncombe Place near York Minster and opposite the Dean Court Hotel, is the oldest, purpose built Masonic Hall in the city, said a spokesman.

He said it was built specifically for York Lodge No. 236 in 1862 – 1863, and Freemasons had met there continually since that time.

“York Lodge No. 236 itself, was first established in 1777 – and has met continually now for 240 years,” he said.

He said the open day, which is due to take place on Saturday June 24 between 10am and 4pm,would answer questions the public might have long pondered over.

These included: “Have you ever wondered what the inside of a Masonic Lodge looked like, what Freemasons wear, what we do, and why we joined Freemasonry?

“Well now is their chance to come and meet us, have a look around our Masonic Hall, have a cup of tea, and ask those questions they always wanted to ask,” he said.

“We look forward to meeting them.”

He said open days were being planned at lodges all over the country to celebrate 300 years of Freemasonry in the United Kingdom.

The event also followed the recent successful documentary series on TV – “Inside the Freemasons.”

The Duncombe Place hall building was designed by John Edwin Oates, a member of the Lodge who was an architect, and the interior of the lodge room was designed by J Barton-Wilson, also a fellow Freemason from London.

The building is now a Grade 2 listed building within the conservation area.