Help me, lazywebs, you're my only hope

[davywavy]

I'm trying to track down a story/urban myth I heard some time ago about an underground Masonic Temple/Lodge beneath Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus with a secret entrance at the back of a pub. Can anyone help? I've failed my google roll.

I think it *may* have been referenced in Alan Moore's "From Hell".

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Did you take 10? I guess with your int penalty that equates to a 5...

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

Yep, Moore uses this in "From Hell". Here's what he has to say about it:

The setting of the [Masonic] trial in this episode is based on the tantalizing piece of information revealed in London Under London, by Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman (John Murray Ltd., 1984), which states that there still exists a Masonic temple directly under Piccadilly Circus, famous for its statue of Eros, with an entrance through the cellars of a nearby bistro."

This guy (http://forum.casebook.org/archive/index.php/t-2126.html) seems to have been after Trench and Hillman too, but there's nothing tangible in the messages there. (Apparently there are nothing except abandoned Masonic temples all around Piccadilly Circus! And lizardmen! From the hollow earth!) The tavern or pub thing seems heavily reminiscent of the history of a lot of early Masonic activity (everyone likes to hang around taverns and pubs) but particularly that of Freemason's Hall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons%27_Hall,_London), which is essentially your friendly neighbourhood Mason central. That's obviously a bit too far off eastwards for your purposes, though. That said, this site (http://www.mandatelodge.org/caferoyal.html) says there's a 1920s association with freemasonry and Café Royal. That's something.

I could try whipping out Ridley's The Freemasons and taking a look-see, but I frankly don't think there's anything in there about this particular legend.

[redhillian.livejournal.com]

The only thing I know under the Piccadilly Circus area (save the obvious Underground station) is the Criterion Theatre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criterion_Theatre).

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

A quick google finds several references, particularly around the Criterion, but your guess to their accuracy is as good as mine.

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

Most central London hotels had a Lodge room, back in the day, rented out to Masons for meetings, and I've heard from several sources that one near Picadilly was converted into an underground health spa and pool in the late 1980's.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I was looking for, thank you.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found those, but nothing definite.