The Lodge of Amity and Rossendale Forest No. 283
on the registry of the United Grand Lodge of England
So who are we?
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of WBro Derek H Smith PProvGReg on the 18th of October 2026.
Initiated into Freemasonry in 1971, Derek progressed through the offices to serve as Worshipful Master of Rossendale Forest Lodge No. 4138 in 1981, and again as Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Amity and Rossendale Forest No. 283 in 2016. Throughout his decades of dedication, he held several key roles - most notably serving as Almoner for many years, and also as the Chairman of Mill House Masonic Hall. Affectionately known as the "supersub," Derek was always ready to step in for absent officers, ensuring the Lodge's work never missed a beat. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
St Edmund's Church in Rochdale is regarded as one of the finest but least known gems of ecclesiastical architecture in the country.
It was built by a Freemason for Freemasons, not so much as a church, but a "Temple of Solomon".
