We live in the UK’s ‘strangest’ town – it’s hiding a ‘weird’ secret which makes it popular with Hollywood celebrities
A UK town is hiding an odd secret which makes it popular with celebrities.
On the face of it, East Grinstead looks like any other commuter town in the home counties.
For years it has been considered a popular place for city workers as it is just 27 miles from London and boasts a pretty town centre along with cafes and pubs.
The suburban town though is home to Scientology – as well as Opus Dei, Mormons and druids and pagans.
Scientology, which counts a number of big shot celebrities as members, has its UK headquarters in the small town.
The secluded country house Saint Hill Manor, on the southwestern edge of the town, was bought by the church’s founder L Ron Hubbard in 1959.
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Hollywood star Tom Cruise is thought to have stayed at the manor during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He’s also said to have donated $10,000 (£8,000) to cover the costs of the local rugby team.
Another Hollywood legend, John Travolta, has also been spotted in the town and infamously tried to book a table at the local KFC outlet.
Around 1,000 members live there and some 50 run local businesses, according to reports.
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Under Hubbard’s ownership, a mock-Norman castle was built as a training centre for Scientology followers.
Little is known about the 60-acre site as it is protected by iron gates and multiple security cameras.
Just three miles north of East Grinstead is The Mormon Church’s London England Temple.
It boasts a 194-foot-high spire and 34 acres of lawns.
The church was founded by Joseph Smith in the 1820s, with followers believing that praying to God can heal lives and also believing in baptism for the dead and polygamy.
While the temple is considered sacred and visitors are not allowed in, tourists are able to stroll around the grounds.
An off-shoot of the Catholic church, Opus Dei, is also in the area.
It became widely known due to the 2003 film of Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code, with its depiction of the organisation attracting considerable criticism from Christians.
In East Grinstead, they operate from Wickenden Manor, but the grounds are not open to the public.
The question as to why so many religious groups have based themselves in a rather obscure Sussex town has never really been explained but some think it is to do with ley lines, a supposed straight line connecting three or more prehistoric or ancient sites around the world.
Of particular importance, according to this theory, is the Greenwich Meridian Line which passes through the centre of the town, and is meant to have special spiritual powers.
Various Druids, Pagans, Wiccans and Satanists are also believed to consider the nearby woodlands as their home.
The town’s mayor defended it after a harsh online review on said the place was "filled with chavs, nutters, nasty middle-class idiots and scientologists".
Mayor Julie Mockford hit back though, saying: I was born and bred in East Grinstead as were my parents and I am especially proud of my town.
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"I get to see a lot of things as town mayor and to have someone being very derogatory to the residents of East Grinstead who do so much for the town is a bit of a slap in the face to be honest.
"To make a sweeping statement like that, why don't they just move? As mayor, I have had to be political. I make no judgement on anyone and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed meeting every person."
