When the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment was commissioned in the early 1950s Jim Drummond was one of the earliest arrivals. The following year he made contact with other masons he had known previously and an informal discussion group was formed.

They met in a back room of the Hinds Head in Aldermaston Village. Unfortunately the Landlord of the Hinds Head decided that they were not spending enough at the bar so he stopped the use of the back room.

Jim Drummond found his Doctor, J Morland was a member of a London Lodge. Joe Morland introduced his friend Ken Goodman. It was Ken Goodman who arranged for the meetings to be held the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month in the village Hall.

In 1954, the meeting became a Class of Instruction and it was called The Charles Keyser Class of Instruction. The meetings were held regularly but they did not have a Worshipful Brother amongst its members. The class subs were set at £1-5s-0d (£1.15) and 1/- (5p) per meeting. At this time there were 24 to 30 members attending these meetings.

Representation were made to Provincial Grand Lodge to form a Lodge. The Provincial Grand Secretary W.Bro Sidney Collins paid the class a visit. Prov, G. Lodge appointed. W. Bro Horace Dean as Master W. Bro Arthur Johnson as S.W W.Bro Fred King as Treasurer W. Bro Alec Carter as D.C. Bro Alf Short continued as Secretary.

Reports to the Provincial Grand Lodge must have been satisfactory and subject to as least one third of the founders not being employed at A.W.R.E a Lodge could be constituted.

Once the go ahead was receive from Provincial Grand Lodge a meeting was held by the Prospective Founders. The founders fee was set at 30 guineas (£31.50), the annual subscription at 3 1/2 guineas (£3.67), the Initiation Fee 15 guineas (£15.75) plus the annual subscription. The joining fee 5 guineas (£5.25) plus annual subscription. Dining was at the Old Mill and in 1957, dinner cost 7s 6d (£0.37)

On the formation of the Lodge the V.S.L. and organ were donated by a Kent Lodge

The name Aldermaston was an obvious choice for the new lodge but there was already a lodge called Aldermaston, so the Lodge was named after the village next to Aldermaston - Padworth. The mother Lodge was Aldermaston Lodge No. 2760 and the Grand Mother Lodge was The Loyal Berkshire Lodge of Hope No. 574.

Padworth Lodge continues to meet in the village hall Aldermaston six times a year on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. It has a membership of fifty. Originally the Lodge met five times a year and the Installation was in May. Provincial Grand Lodge, in 1965, granted an additional meeting in October and to change the Installation from May to June. There is also a thriving Lodge of Instruction, which meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

Additional Information

The village hall was built by R.W Bro Charles Edward Keyser P.G.W., Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Hertfordshire, lord of the manor. The corner stone laid by his wife, Mary Emma Keyser on Saturday 4th December 1897. In attendance were the Vicar F.R. Horwood and his two Church Wardens W. Keep and J.T. Strange.

In 1899 the Aldermaston Lodge No 2760 was founded with Charles Edward Keyser being the first Worshipful Master. Masonic functions were regularly held in the Manor House known as Aldermaston Court. The Masonic Record published in 1921 volume I, an account of R.W.Bro C.E Keyser under a heading of "Distinguished Craftsmen And Their Homes" .

Charles Keyser commissioned a mural to be painted in the east side of the church in which he and his family are depicted as angels .He also had masonic signs painted inside the church under a large painting of King Solomon.