Inside UK's top secret 'fenced off' location known as England's Area 51

There's a top secret military base in the UK which once rivalled Area 51, though it's been out of use for around 25 years.

It may not be as large on the surface when compared to its American counterpart, but it was once the base used to carry out covert operations during the 20th century.

Known as RAF Rudloe Manor, its name gives away the fact that it was once key to the RAF's operations group for a number of reasons.

Nicknamed 'England's Area 51', the former military base is located between Box and Corsham in Wiltshire, with it being used for filtering intelligence on enemy activity.

While conspiracy theories on the base ran wild, it was used during the Cold War for keeping tabs on radiation hazards and nuclear risks as the US and Russia kept hovering over the big red button.

Rudloe Manor was once key in British military operations (Fg. Off. A Goodchild/Imperial War Museums via Getty Images)

With world leaders seemingly threatening to start a Third World War, or throwing caution to the wind in favour of political gain, intrigue around the old base has renewed.

Whether it be Trump or Putin, it feels like we're on the cusp of something quite unpleasant - so could Rudloe Manor experience a resurgence?

The former Royal Air Force station is said to feature underground tunnels and bunkers (Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.)

Theories on the mysterious Rudloe Manor

Whispers in the past have suggested that while it features a series of tunnels and bunkers which run underneath the building, research into UFOs was carried out here.

Some even believe that a real spacecraft is being kept on the grounds, with American writer Dorothy Kilgallon claiming that a high-ranked British official told her this.

The Ministry of Defence has denied any involvement with aliens though, though conspiracies have continued to spiral.

Rudloe Manor isn't currently in use, to our knowledge (Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))

What's it like at Rudloe Manor?

While many believe it to be fenced off for miles in every direction like Nevada's Area 51, the reality is that people live in and around the area it's located in.

Speaking to The Sun in 2024, Tony Pierce, a resident in Corsham Wiltshire, shut down all the conspiracy theories that may be circulating about the base.

He pointed out: “Unfortunately, the truth is that it was a product of the Cold War which at the time meant we had to have secret locations where people could work out how we were going to live if the worst happened."

Those who think there's more than meets the eye with the old RAF base will be disappointed (Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.)

How is Rudloe Manor today?

The site is largely trapped in time, with the 30-acre land area being surrounded by wildlife, with 40 prefabricated buildings around the area.

A number of these feature boarded up windows and doors, while the base's old main entrance sports a sign reading 'Private. Keep out'.

A small hut can also be spotted in present day snaps of the site, which is wear armed guards would have been stationed back during the Cold War.

Overgrown grass in front of the base can also be seen, with huge abandoned oil tanks and rusted pipes above ground seemingly leading nowhere, visible.

The manor looks abandoned from the outside, despite the surrounding area living on (Wikimedia Commons)

Richard Moulton, another resident in Corsham, spoke more about alien theories and suggested that if aliens did exist and make their way to Earth, 'don’t you think they may have the ability to avoid detection and capture', compared to the technology of the 1950s and 60s.

“Everything else stems from that paranoia which erupts whenever something secret is on your doorstep,” Richard added.

Overgrown vegetation can also be seen covering the old road leading to the base.

While the manor is sealed off from the public, people have attempted to break-in, despite the fences and barbed wires in place to keep the public out.