St Edmunds Church, Rochdale

(The following is based on an original article by Philip Coppens)

St Edmund’s Church in Rochdale, is regarded as one of the finest but least known gems of ecclesiastical architecture in the country. Commissioned by the industrialist and banker Albert Hudson Royds, its interior is packed with Masonic symbolism.
The specific spark that initiated St Edmund’s might have come when on August 10, 1869, the Provincial Grand Lodge convened in the Chapter House of Worcester Cathedral to march in procession to the Cathedral where the new Masonic window that had been built in the north transept was unveiled. On this occasion, Albert Royds (who was already a member of the Supreme Council, 33rd Degree) proclaimed: “I ask you to accept this gift from the brethren of our ancient Craft and sometimes, when you look upon its mellowed light, may you be induced to say, ‘O, wonderful Masons!’”.

The foundation stone of St Edmunds was laid in 1870, in the northeast corner of the building – as Masonic ritual stipulates. The lewis bolt with which the stone was suspended and the working tools with which it was proved, were subsequently handed over to St Chad’s Lodge, No. 1129, in Rochdale. The church was opened on May 7, 1873, with various Masonic ceremonies held.

Raised on a roughly hewn plinth, the overall dimensions are proportional to those of King Solomon’s Temple; its length is three times and its height one and a half times its breadth. The interior volume is of six cubes, one for each arm and two for the nave, plus that of the crossing. The lantern was the seventh cube, but the lantern tower was sealed off in 1887. It means that the centre was deprived of a flood of light, but also that the sacred dimensions of the building were mutilated.

Staircase in the tower

The whole building has connotations with Freemasonry, but the Masonic interest is openly depicted in the East Window which is filled with pictorial representations of the designing, building and decoration of the Temple at Jerusalem. In the centre light the three Grand Masters are shown with the plan of the Temple. There is also the figure of Hiram Abif, wearing a Master Mason’s cap. The right hand light shows the workmen busy with the masonry, while the left hand light shows the priests and populous celebrating the completion of the building. In the central pentagon of each pentalpha are, from left to right, the emblems of the Craft, the Ancient and Accepted Rite and The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders.

St Edmund’s is a Temple of Solomon masking as a church. Built roughly at the same time when Bérenger Saunière constructed his enigmatic church in Rennes-le-Château, Saunière’s church supposedly contains “hidden clues” either to the location of a treasure or to the nature of the secret as to how he became so extraordinarily rich. But what detail is significant and might mean what precisely, is a matter of great controversy and subjectivity. In the case of St Edmund’s, the Masonic references are sometimes underhand, but always clear to the Mason – quite often, they are straight in your face. There is, in short, no doubt that this church is Masonic in design.

On the East wall, a reredos by Rev. E.W. Gilbert, is integrated with the stone of the building. At first sight, it appears to be nothing more as if they are cement leaves; on closer inspection, they are meant to grow out of the wall, and are actually vine leaves. If you look carefully inside them, you can read the words “I AM THE”. For those “on the level”, this is supposed to be read as “I am the vine” – the vine not written, but portrayed.

It is a reference to John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” It appears to be a straightforward Christian message, but many Masons will recognise this as a Masonic prayer, and a famous one at that: Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon and a Mason, used it during a private moment on the Moon – leaving non-Mason Neil Armstrong apparently somewhat perplexed as to what his colleague was doing.

If any doubt remains about the Masonic interpretation of the building, the Masonic connection of the lectern could not be more obvious. Indeed, the lectern has been described as “the symbolic climax of the whole scheme”.

On an imperfect block of black marble stands a perfect white cube of ashlar marble. The cube, of course, is already significant within the Craft. Upon that are three columns of brass: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, representing Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. However, engraved upon their bases are the symbolic tools of the Craft, specifically the jewels of the Master and the Senior and Junior Wardens, who together rule a Masonic Lodge. On top is a horizontal brass tray, fretted with pomegranates, lilies and intertwined snakes (a variation on the ouroboros, but within a Masonic context symbolising unity), with a horizontal design that represents the Blazing Star or glory, and finally, to carry the Volume of Sacred Law, a pyramid formed out of square and compasses – making a Masonic statement impossible to miss.

Despite being a grade two listed building, St Edmunds was sealed off in 2008 when it closed as a parish church. Although still consecrated for worship, the building was handed over by the Church of England to the Churches Conservation Trust which has been carrying out restoration work to rescue the building. Although largely still closed, The Friends of St Edmunds Church have recently been able to open the Church to visitors on the first and third Saturdays, most months of the year.