News
Official Opening of The Order of Athelstan Room at York Minster
A formal ceremony recently marked the celebration of a significant charitable partnership between the Masonic Order of Athelstan (via the King Athelstan Memorial Foundation) and the York Minster Fund. The event was held to officially dedicate and open “The Order of Athelstan Room” (Accommodation Module No. 6) in York.
A Center of Excellence for Young Apprentices
This newly constructed facility has been designed to provide high-quality housing for young apprentices, stonemasons, joiners, and building tech trainees focusing on heritage skills. The module will also welcome international visitors from global cathedral partners, allowing them to live and work together in a manner that reflects the historic operative masons’ lodges.
During the ceremony, representatives of the Order presented a donation check to Kate Burch, Head of Fundraising and Development for the York Minster Fund, to financially support this vital project.
Historical Significance: 1,100 Years Since 926
Keynote speakers highlighted the immense historical resonance that the city of York holds for the Order. In the year 926, King Athelstan’s half-brother, Prince Edwin, summoned a general assembly of operative masons right here in York. It was during this historic assembly that the Ancient Charges—which regulated the craft and morals of medieval stonemasons—were first established. This opening serves as a timely prelude to the upcoming 1,100th anniversary of that monumental milestone.
During the ceremony, representatives of the Order presented a donation check to Kate Burch, Head of Fundraising and Development for the York Minster Fund, to financially support this vital project.
International Presence and a Touch of Fate
The gathering featured a strong international presence, with distinguished guests traveling from England, Wales, and Greece, including the Grand Master from the National Grand Lodge of Greece.
A lighter and memorable moment of the ceremony was shared regarding how Accommodation Module No. 6 was chosen to bear the Order’s name. The organizer recounted a morning visit to the active construction site where he noticed a painter’s ladder leaning against the wall. The ladder formed a perfect letter “A”, which he took as an instant sign that Module 6 was destined to become the “Order of Athelstan Room”.
The event concluded with an official ribbon-cutting, followed by a guided tour of the newly completed accommodation module for the VIP guests.
During the ceremony, representatives of the Order presented a donation check to Kate Burch, Head of Fundraising and Development for the York Minster Fund, to financially support this vital project.
