On Friday we reported how the UK base of the Church of Scientology was being

advertised in a tourist leaflet published by West Sussex County Council. The church was quick to deny the free tours on offer were being used to recruit members into the

controversial religion. Posing as a daytripper, David Edwards went to find out for himself

IT is advertised as a tour of one of Britain's most beautiful mansions.

Visitors are invited to drop in on the 200-year-old stately home, set in nearly 60 acres of grounds, and embark on one of the hourly tours.

The huge sandstone building with its winter garden, mural painting and oak panelling should be the perfect day out for visitors.

But the advertisement does not tell you the tour of Saint Hill Manor could be seen as a PR exercise for the Church of Scientology.

By the time my visit was over I had been told what Scientology stands for, how it works and even shown the room where people can join.

Posing as a sightseer, I arrived at the manor near East Grinstead and was greeted by Nichola, who showed me and two other daytrippers around the building.

First stop was the library. The mansion was once the residence of an Indian maharaja but the bookcases were not filled with any of the books he

collected.

Instead, they were packed with

hundreds of titles by L Ron Hubbard, the science-fiction writer who founded the church in the Fifties.

Some of his early pulp novels were arranged in a display while below were volumes explaining what Scientology is all about.

Having given us a very brief rundown of the room's history, Nichola introduced herself as a

Scientologist and told us how the religion works.

"The emphasis is on

self-help and Scientology is a method which allows people to realise their goals," she explained.

Then it was on to a room, the walls of which were covered by a huge mural painted by John Spencer Churchill, nephew of Winston.

And just in case we were starting to forget the Scientologist message, there was another bookcase of Hubbard's work in the corner.

After visiting the roof and being shown the enormous cedar tree which stands near the mansion ("That was Mr Hubbard's favourite," said Nichola), we were taken to his bedroom.

With its four-poster bed and colourful rug, the room is the highpoint of the tour for visiting Scientologists, who come from across the world to see where their late leader lived.

Nichola told us how church members often stop off at Gatwick Airport to visit the mansion on their way to the USA.

The visitors' book testified to this, with entries from New Zealand, Spain and Denmark.

Said Nichola: "In the

Sixties, this used to be the headquarters of the world but it has grown up since then. But it's still a very important place for Scientologists to visit."

Then it was on to Hubbard's study, where he wrote his books, and time for another titbit on the world of Dianetics - "In a higher organisation like Saint Hill you have dedicated staff who live in and they are Seaorg members."

The unusual English refers to the church's

hierarchy, with Seaorgs top of the pile.

Nichola explained how Hubbard had spent eight years in Britain before leaving in 1967 to study, free from distractions, on a ship.

She didn't mention that the following year he was banned from re-entering Britain amid public concern over his aims and methods.

Neither did she give details of his further

run-ins with the authorities, including an accusation of embezzlement in 1984, two years before his death.

Before the tour ended, Nichola told us we could buy refreshments in the nearby castle, which is where the Scientologists are inducted and study.

She also said we were welcome to ask for a tour of the building to find out more about the religion.

The refectory was full of church members in their Navy-style uniforms while a poster invited people to become life members of the International Association of Scientologists.A book on one of the tables explains how to counsel, or "audit" members. The practice is aimed at encouraging people, or "Thetans" as they are called, to become "clear".

Illustrations show how the bizarre system works, with sketches of Scientologists explaining how to answer questions and being told off for giving the wrong answers.

After asking for a tour at the reception desk, a young man called Alexander who was dressed in the regulation white shirt with epaulettes and black tie, met us.

He first took me to one of the building's corridors, which each lead to dozens of counselling rooms.

There people use

e-meters to measure past traumas. Church members hold metal tubes through which electrical charges are passed. The strength of feelings are registered on the meter, a strange egg-shaped device, by a needle.

The devices were on sale by the reception desk, along with a leaflet explaining the benefits of the new Mark Super VII Quantum. Each comes in a range of colours, has matching leads and a carrying case and is yours for £3,888.

Next was a visit to the studying rooms, where dozens of Scientologists sat at desks reading Hubbard's work.

Alexander explained that a big part of the church's teachings involved practical work and pointed to a woman sitting at the back of the room who was making little men out of brightly-coloured clay to assist her studies.

In another room, church members sat discussing the religion or practised on their e-meters. Another contained members wearing headphones to listen to taped Hubbard lectures.

My guide then took me down a flight of stairs to the library, filled with Hubbard's books and self-help manuals. Each offers advice on how to improve relationships or get more out of work.He told me he joined seven years ago, in Italy, where he was working as a bricklayer.

"I was looking for something because I was unhappy and had dabbled with yoga. Then I saw one of L Ron Hubbard's books and I became very interested."

Before the tour ended I was shown the room where new recruits are signed up.

Alexander looked at me expectantly and there was an awkward pause. Then we went to the refectory and we parted company.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.