London: Crusaders, Cats and the Craft - Story of Freemasonry｜United Kingdom

Beginning at St. Paul's Cathedral, this walking tour around the City of London explores the origins and early days of Freemasonry. We visit the meeting places of the early Masonic lodges and try to get to grips with the mindset and motivations of the early Masons to understand why Masonry became as popular as it did.

We try to answer the question of why the artisanal practice of stonemasonry was taken as the basis for the symbology.

We try to evoke the atmosphere of Georgian London, its optimism and dynamism which spawned the movement.

You will hear about prominent Masons and their contributions to society and how they have shaped the present.

We explore the links between Freemasonry and other societies from the more ancient past, the monastic orders whose rituals were an inspiration to Masons, and, particularly the Knights Templar, the powerful order of warrior monks who too, took their inspiration from the legendary Temple of Solomon.

The tour takes 90 minutes and contains a moderate amount of walking, finishing at Fountain Court in Middle Temple - close to Temple Underground station.