Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies. The following information is intended to explain Freemasonry as it is practised under the United Grand Lodge of England, which administers Lodges of Freemasons in England and Wales and in many places overseas.

The four central Liverpool Masonic Groups, namely Gladstone, Sandon, Trafalgar and Wellington are, contrary to first appearance, actually named after four of the more famous Liverpool docks. The vast majority of the lodges meet at the Masonic Hall in Hope Street (the administrative centre of Freemasonry in the Province of West Lancashire) which was originally built in 1858 as a permanent home. It is a listed building. But about half of those in the Gladstone Group and a small number in the Sandon and Wellington Groups meet at such diverse venues as the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, the Liverpool Racquet Club and Staff House at the University of Liverpool Between them, these Liverpool Groups comprise a cosmopolitan array of different lodges with much fascinating heritage, reflecting the history and development of the city. Some lodges are very old; there are several over two hundred years of age and one approaching two hundred and fifty, but many were founded since the second world war, the most recent in 1979. Most lodges meet in the evening during the week but there is one lodge which meets at lunch time and a few meet on Saturdays.