(Credits: Far Out / George Stock / Sandy Gerrar / Colin Park / Simon Leatherdale)
Fri 30 January 2026 11:00, UK
When it comes to UFOs, there’s something that feels distinctly un-British about them, because the idea of Roswell, or people camping in RVs and surveying the skies, feels as otherworldly as the aliens themselves.
Without being too cliché, the only saucers we’re interested in come with cups and tea, and the only time an alien has been of note in British culture was when Sting sang Englishman in New York.
That’s starting to change, though, and only earlier this year, a former Bank of England official said that the country needs to plan for the potential financial crisis that would be kick-started if the US government ever announced that extra-terrestrials existed.
However, it’s not the first time that aliens have entered the British consciousness, and an incident back in 1980 sparked a hunt for UFOs that still enthrals ufologists today. Not only that, but it’s even impacted tourism and created a cottage industry for alien enthusiasts in Suffolk.
It’s been four decades since the Rendlesham Forest incident, and it still serves as an intersection of tourism, mystery, military involvement, conspiracy and aliens, also being discussed across the world, from documentaries on YouTube to guests on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
The East Gate at RAF Woodbridge, 2014.(Credits: Far Out / Taras Young)
Rendlesham Forest is a fairly nondescript area of pine woodland near the border of Suffolk and Norfolk, which is quiet and fairly out of the way, being the main reason RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters were situated nearby. The forest was tall, green with pines and kept prying eyes away from what was happening at the airbases.
This was during the Cold War, with tensions high between the West and the Soviet Union. Christmas has been enjoyed by the American servicemen based at RAF Woodbridge, as they were looking forward to bringing in the new year, and over three nights, between December 26th and 28th, a series of events took place that changed the area for good.
In the early hours of Friday, December 26th, US Air Force personnel saw strange lights descend into Rendlesham Forest, who were concerned that an aircraft might have crashed, and a small group was rallied, setting off into the pines.
Accounts reported encountering a metallic, triangular object. Some claimed they saw this object manoeuvre through the trees, while Airman First Class John Burroughs claimed he touched it and saw unrecognisable symbols carved into its surface. The object was then said to have silently lifted off and burst away into the sky.
Two nights later, it happened again, and this time a new group, featuring Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt, then deputy base commander, set off into the forest, but this time with a handheld camera, capturing footage of lights moving through the forest and coming from the sky, as they were both alarmed and terrified by what happened.
The Ministry of Defence downplayed the sightings, and some theories have suggested that the airmen, perhaps buoyed by Christmas cheer, had mistakenly seen the lights from the Orford Ness lighthouse, or perhaps it could be stars, meteors or even flares let off in the forest.
The Orford Ness lighthouse in Suffolk, 2010. (Credits: Far Out / David Merrett)
These possibilities don’t really take into account everything that was claimed in the witness testimonies, which, alongside the documentation that survives around the incident, which includes audio, a memo sent to the MoD and interviews, have all added to the mystery around Rendlesham Forest for UFO hunters.
It’s not just locals that have heard the rumours of alien sightings, but even those from further afield, with the Rendlesham Forest incident becoming part of global UFO lore. That’s led to visitors from every continent visiting Rendlesham Forest to see for themselves, and hopefully have a meeting with the aliens themselves.
While the Forestry Commission have leaned into the legend, as shown by their Rendlesham Forest UFO Trail walking route, they haven’t really turned this tale into a cash grab. Instead, they choose to document the key locations cited in the reports and detail the story in a neutral tone, both explaining the witness claims and offering potential explanations.
A sculpture stands at the alleged landing spot, but it acts more as an artistic piece than a piece of evidence. While aliens and UFOs are referenced in the local towns, this hasn’t been commercialised in the way that Roswell has been.
We might not know if the Rendlesham Forest incident was a Cold War anxiety dream, a result of too many Christmas drinks, or perhaps something more secret and sinister. One thing we do know is that it occupies a very unique space in British history and the tourism of the country, one that welcomes beings from all over the globe, or further afield, to enjoy this beautiful Suffolk woodland.
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