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Also see: Thoughts on The Halt Tape
When they were there in March 1998, it was for an evening’s skywatch, but they were given a tour of parts of the forest by Brenda Butler, one of the original UFO researchers, who became involved in investigations. Brenda had shown the area of forest where there was a downed missile-like object, in a small crater. This area is now considerably overgrown with the summer’s bracken growth, and also the rapid growing fir trees, which themselves have signs of disease in this area. The other main area of interest in March was the Capel Green site, where Larry Warren (And others) alleged that a craft had landed on the second, and perhaps subsequent nights of the events. The ‘landing site’ had always exhibited a strange soil structure, even years after the alleged landing, so what was the cause of this? Perhaps we will never know – obviously this particular site had become very popular since the publication of Warren’s book – perhaps too popular. On the return visit recently, that particular area of Capel Green was now found to be overgrown. The ground itself seems to have been ‘landscaped’, as a ridge of earth now obstructs the view of the site from a newly-aligned fence, so the view to the Warren ‘landing site’ is now difficult, and certainly changed from March of 1998. This work to change the features of the landscape seems deliberate, just to confuse interested visitors. Another landmark that was curious is the view from the Capel Green area to the infamous Orford Ness lighthouse. During our night visit in March, we were able to see the beam of the light from part from the Capel Green boundary, but at night we could not see the lie of the land. It should be remembered that the ‘lighthouse explanation’ was put forward for the sightings, this is totally ignoring the fact that in 1980, the forest was so dense that the lighthouse was not visible from the Woodbridge base. In daylight, the top of the lighthouse is just visible, through a rather unnatural looking cutting in the woods just west of Orford itself. This looks almost as if it has been cleared deliberately to enable to the light to be seen from the edge of the Rendlesham Forest, next to Capel Green. If this is the case, who is responsible for this ‘landscaping’, and when were parts of the ‘project’ undertaken? In a way each visit to the area seem to raise more questions that it answers, but perhaps this is the nature of this type of research.
October
1999 Away Team
After a surprisingly easy journey on the M25 and A12, we stopped at a Little Chef near Ipswich, and planned our itinerary for the day. Once back on the road, we headed for the former RAF Bentwaters airfield, and as we drove past the now familiar scene on our right of the weapon storage areas (WSA's), I thought how quiet this area must be now, compared to the last 40 years or so of military activity. We drove on past the main entrance of the 'former' base, where I had a surprise, as part of the base is now an industrial estate and storage facility - this is borne out by the roadsigns. As we went round the roundabout leading to the main gate, I noticed an estate agent's hoarding, advertising industrial units for lease. However, the odd thing that caught my eye, was that on most industrial estates (which I know of by my day job), you can just drive to any warehouse that you need, but on this one there is more security than on many military establishments that I have seen - or do they do thing's differently in Suffolk? From Bentwaters, we made our way to Orford , and the quayside. It was from here that I had my first 'close up' glimpse of the infamous lighthouse. How Ian Ridpath swears that this is what everyone saw, and misidentified in 1980 really beats me - perhaps he needs better glasses! (What is also strange is why so many people accept his theory, without ever visiting the location, to see how implausible it is - Ed).
By now the day had turned out wonderful, with clear blue skies and a warm autumn sun, although a slight sea breeze kept things a bit bracing! We had lunch at the small quayside café, before setting off for the forest itself, this time going via Friday Street. As we headed back past Bentwaters, bulk lorries could be seen at one of the hangars, and Brian speculated that they may be used for grain storage under the European Intervention scheme. We came back past the main entrance a second time, so I could have another look at the security presence. A little further on Brian had to pull off the road to check his map, and oddly enough it was by a gateway through which the WSA's could be seen, and I just happened to have my camera to hand! It was then time to look around Friday Street (One of many hamlets of this name in the area, just to confuse the visitor - Ed). In a lecture that I attended, Peter Robbins mentioned that he interviewed a local man, who used to work for the Property Services Agency - responsible for the upkeep of all government buildings and land. This man was based at RAF Woodbridge, and one day he had to visit the office of the surveyor, who wasn't around. Noticing that a drawer was open, curiosity got he better of him, and he had a look at an engineer's drawing - it showed three tunnels connecting the airbases of Woodbridge and Bentwaters. These tunnels are said to be as big as the Channel tunnel, and this man states that there is evidence of a partial collapse of one of these tunnels near Friday Street. However, without an overhead view, it is not easy to make out unnatural depressions in the landscape, so we will have to find out a more precise location before our next visit! We then made our way to the Forest Park, part of the Forestry Commision's efforts to provide leisure facilities in what is a very picturesque part of the countryside, even for those of us who are not interested in the 'Ufological' history of the Rendlesham Forest. I couldn't believe how good the weather was, but it was to change later on.
Our next vantage point was at the edge of Capel Green , and the small area, no more than 50metres of the forest edge, from which Orford Ness lighthouse can now be seen (Ian Ridpath's supporters please take note!). From there we moved to the oak tree - the site of the landing and CE3K according to Larry Warren, among others. The field has continued to be landscaped ever since the Warren and Robbins book Left at East Gate came out, presumably to confuse the UFO-tourists trying to match the photos with the field! Kate was now able to appreciate the accounst of the night's events, having now been there to get the feel of the location.
Our last port of cal on 'the walk' was the strange clearing next to the road, almost in line with the approach to East Gate. This was the clearing where some of the Essex group had many odd occurrences, including seeing 'jellyfish-like' creatures in the trees. This part of the forest, indeed as all of 'the walk', looks so different in daylight, and it does have to be visited at night to start to get a real feeling of the atmosphere that must have existed on those December nights in 1980. Brian stopped to get photos of a 'simulcra owl' that now sits at the forest edge, before we made our back to the car park, and a refreshing ice cream. As we still had some daylight left, we had a stroll round one of the signposted woodland walks, which only emphasized the huge area that the forest still covers, as we have seen very little of the 'tourist trail'! After encountering a very good 'simulcra crocodile' (some say it was carved!), for some reason we started to wonder whether anyone would have been creating mischief by making 'stick men' in the forest, popular at the time due to The Blair Witch Project being in the cinemas. While this may seem flippant, pentagrams made from branches and sticks have been seen on earlier visits! The weather was closing in rapidly now, and it was starting to rain quite hard by the time we got back to the car, which was a shame, as it isn't easy to get muddy walking boots off in a hurry! In what little daylight we had left, we went round the back roads towards Bentwaters again, via Wantisden. Someone clearly had a sense of humour, as off in one field, was an Honest John rocket launcher, with a presumably disabled or dummy rocket, which was pointed at the airbase! Brian drove up a road that was signposted for a campsite, which actually took us right to the perimeter fence by the hardended aircraft shelters (HAS's) of Bentwaters. We made our way back to the Tunstall road, and from here the lights over the 'industrial complex' were self-evident, in fact the only unlit part were the HAS's where we had just been. As we came back past the main gate again, there was now an even bigger security presence, as I now counted eight personnel at the gate. As we drove past the WSA's for the final time that day, some ideas came to me, concerning the 'industrial use' of the former airbase. What if the company owning Bentwaters wanted to carry on using the secure underground facilities - what better way of concealing operations than running a legitimate business 'on top'? That way, you could come and go as you please, and without creating suspicion. Peter Robbins claims that five companies worldwide 'own' Bentwaters - if the paper chase is ever unravelled, I for one would put my money on it leading straight back to the NSA!
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More Strange Encounters at Rendlesham by James Hill During the festive holiday period of 2002, APRA researcher took the opportunity to visit Rendlesham - with curious results, as James explains: Apart from being cold and damp I met a couple of strange people at Rendelsham. I parked at the car park at (Woodbridge’s) East Gate, and thought I would ‘visit the trees’ first and have a cup of tea before I went for a tramp through the forest. From where I was stood in the tree line I could see my car very well, a dark blue Vauxhall Omega pulled into the car park. Within a few moments the driver got out and walked around my car looking in the windows, so I made my presence known and got back in my car and made a cup of tea. The chap that was looking around my car made out he was stretching his legs walked around a bit and did a few stretches - and had a sneaky look at the badges in the front of the car. I finished my tea and put on my boots and fleece, my hat and gloves, then locked the car. As I was about to walk off the man spoke. I returned the greeting then he said “I see your into UFOs then?”. I retorted “What department of the MoD are you from?” It was his reaction that threw me he coloured slightly, then asked the question again. This time I asked what made him think that, and he said that he saw the badge in the front window. I said that I saw him looking in the car - which he tried denying until I told him that if he had got any closer he would be paying for a paint. He coloured up again still trying to deny it. Then I asked him if he was so sure, why is there a foot print right by my rear door? He stood back a bit, I thought he was going to hit me so I told him I had his registration number. Thank goodness another car pulled into the car park an four kids got out - the man got into his car and drove off. I then walked down the track by the end of the runway and looked around the forest where Georgina Bruni said that the landing took place. Although it was ten thirty in the morning it certainly felt very strange - it felt as if I was being watched all the time I was there. I only stayed in that part for twenty minutes, then left and went on around the forest. I still felt unnerved until I got back to the car. This is where I met the second strange person - a young woman in her twenty's, who was walking down from East Gate. I sat on the back bumper of my car having another cup of tea. I looked up to see her coming through the same gap in the trees that I came through earlier. I said “Good Morning.” She answered, then asked me “If I had found what I was looking for?” I asked her what she meant, so she said I “..must have been looking for something, as not many people go to that part of the forest.” She then said she had to leave and walked of thought the trees. I keep asking my self why these two people should act in this way - bloody weird or what?
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From
the quayside, Brian also pointed out the various old bunkers and buildings over
on 'Orford Beach' - emphasizing the military history of this whole area (Bawdsey
Manor is just down the coast, as is Shingle Street - scene of a tragic accident
in WW2 that would now be referred to by the ridiculous term 'friendly
fire', and which was the subject of a cover up for many years.) Also
visible from Orford Quay is the alleged NSA C4 station, on the actual Orford
Ness landspit. Its large white building stands out starkly against the
horizon, although the collection of twelve masts (five of them over 100m tall),
are not so easy to pick up against the skyline.
Once
we had dressed in suitable walking gear, we made our way to the by now famous
East Gate of the Woodbridge base. It hasn't changed much since our first
group visit in 1997,but the undergrowth is obviously encroaching through the
perimeter fence. We then made our way back to Folly House, and went right,
down the logging track that heads eastwards. Along this track, at regular
intervals, are manholes, with heavy concrete covers, which are not made for
removal. One of the covers had been broken, so we peered down inside,
although we had inadequate torches to reveal much, but we could see hand and
feet irons going down some six to eight feet. We declined to venture down
there ourselves, but Brian took some flash photos, which did show the irons
going down to a narrow chamber or tunnel. We then made our way along the
track towards Capel Green. We located the area of forest that Brenda
Butler told us was where a missile-like object had been seen with three men in
flame-retardent suits damping the area down. It should not be forgotten
that early research showed many of the trees to have a higher than normal
radiation count.
We
made our way to track twelve, an then back through the trees to the silver
birches, and the clearing which some witnesses, claim was the location of the
first night's events. This area was scrubbed out soon after the
events, and still remains as something of a clearing even today. The
curious aspect being that this is the location of the rather gruesome pits,
where animal carcasses are literally just dumped, for all to see, and smell,
even in the warmth of an autumn day. Brian has photos from his visit in
June 1999, to show that both deer and sheep carcasses are dumped into the pit -
for reasons that are still unknown, but questions continue. Obviously deer
and other animals may have to be culled, or may have suffered attack by
predators, but why openly dump carcasses in the middle of the forest (leaving
them for scavengers or carrion eaters to possibly pass on any infections or
diseases), and not burn them? Surely if the deer were free of disease,
then the meat could be sold on? Where are the sheep carcasses coming from,
as they are not exactly running wild in the forest?