Lodge Emblem

The Lodge emblem depicts the Semaphore Tower situated on Telegraph Hill in Claygate.

 

These were part of a communication link between the Admiralty in London to the Royal Navy dockyard in Portsmouth. 15 stations were built in 1822 which enabled a message to be transmitted from London to the coast in less than 1 hour. Messages could only be transmitted during daylight hours and in good weather conditions.

 

They were staffed by ex naval personnel and their families who lived there.

 

The introduction of electricity and the telegraph system rendered the Semaphore system obsolete and after 23 years of service they were closed

in 1847.

 

Many stations were subsequently vandalised and the sites redeveloped. The Claygate station was among those vandalised and nearly suffered the same

fate. However it was sold in the 1970's and converted to a private house after the semaphore masts were dismantled.