Located nine miles west of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, this Royal Air Force Station (RAF) covers about one square mile of moorland, or open area typically covered with grass. Run by the US National Security Agency (NSA), it is thought to be the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. Its distinctive golf ball structures, formally known as radomes, are believed to secretly monitor and possibly even intercept communications.
Controversy remains, especially among activists who are unsure whether the secret activities conducted within the base are acceptable, or accountable, to the British public.