EXCLUSIVE: A sprawling English estate fit for a king... of Hollywood! Tom Cruise set to pull up stakes and move to Saint Hill Manor, the former home of founder L. Ron Hubbard at Church of Scientology UK headquarters

With two hand-carved stone lions majestically guarding the huge entrance, this sprawling 100-acre country estate is fit for a king.

But Daily Mail Online can reveal this is the new home of Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise as he oversees a bid to turn his beloved religion of Scientology into a European superpower.

The actor wants to make the controversial religion's headquarters in East Grinstead, Sussex, a major landmark, and has been dipping into his own vast personal fortune to make it happen, sources claim.

Cruise, 53, is also keen to be closer to London-based daughter Isabella - who he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman - who is a follower of Scientology.

Daily Mail Online has obtained aerial photos of the Church's latest renovations to its 'castle' - said to have cost a staggering $16 million.

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King of the castle: The vast 100-acre estate known as Saint Hill Manor, where founder L. Ron Hubbard lived, will now be the UK home of Cruise. At left is the Castle, a modern building that houses executive offices, dining areas, auditing rooms and course rooms. At right is the Manor, where Tom will take up residence

Cruise is spearheading the massive overhaul at the Church of Scientology HQ. The building known as the Castle (above) consists of dining areas, executive offices, auditing rooms and course rooms

The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom -  flies over the manor house. The Church insists that the building is preserved as an historic monument

The actor wants to make the controversial religion's headquarters in East Grinstead, Sussex, a major landmark – and has been dipping into his own vast personal fortune to make it happen, sources told Daily Mail Online. Sources say the actor put his own East Grinstead mansion on the market after the Church's leader, David Miscavige, granted him unlimited access to Hubbard's former living space

Planning application documents seen by Daily Mail Online reveal the extension will include a spa and gymnasium as well as a high-end restaurant

Cruise and Church leader David Miscavige have plans to make the UK headquarters into a 'superpower'

Planning application documents seen by Daily Mail Online reveal the extension will include a spa and gymnasium as well as a high-end restaurant.

The vast 100-acre estate, where founder L. Ron Hubbard lived,  will now be the UK home of Cruise.

Sources say the actor put his own East Grinstead mansion on the market after the Church's leader, David Miscavige, 55, granted him unlimited access to Hubbard's former living space.

A source told Daily Mail Online: 'Tom is relocating to England and uses the Scientology manor as his base. It's the highest recognition to live where L.Ron Hubbard did, and Miscavige clearly believes giving Tom this access will keep his faith in the Church for decades to come.

'It's worked a charm because Tom's more dedicated to Scientology than ever before. He's investing a lot of his own money back into the UK Church and secretly the talk is how they want to be as influential as the Royal family. 

'It might sound like a deluded dream but with bottomless cash and ongoing renovations they believe that, in time, Saint Hill Manor will overshadow Buckingham Palace.'

Only private vehicles - silver vans with blacked out windows - are allowed access to the manor.

The Church finished construction on the first part of the project last summer and was forced to use a car park belonging to East Grinstead Rugby Club, opposite the Scientology entrance, because of how many trucks were needed to conduct the work.

The grounds of the sports team are adjacent to Scientology's Saint Hill Manor and recent building renovations meant the Church's own parking was insufficient for all the trucks and vehicles..

As a sign of gratitude for disrupting the local sports team for six months Cruise and Miscavige personally invited the director of rugby Phil Major to their annual gala, and donated $10,000 to the club to cover its costs.

This is a recreational area where members can go between studying courses and their jobs at the Church

As shown in these exclusive aerial photographs, the controversial organization has flattened woodland at its sprawling property in order to make way for new quarters. They have also purchased a nearby school which is currently being converted into a training complex for aspiring Scientology leaders

The Church finished construction on the first part of the project last summer and was forced to use a car park belonging to East Grinstead Rugby Club, opposite the Scientology entrance, because of how many trucks were needed to conduct the work

The entrance to the 100-acre Church of Scientology's Saint Hill Manor, one the home of founder L. Ron Hubbard

It's extremely rare for non-members of the controversial church to be invited to the annual ceremony held at the UK headquarters but Phil Major was given privileged access. His invite was a gesture of gratitude for allowing the Church to use a car park owned by East Grinstead Rugby Club. Major is a director of the club.

Cruise, wearing a three-piece suit at the Scientology event in October last year, thanked Major for his help and insisted the pair have a picture taken together.

Speaking about the bash, held last October, Major told Daily Mail Online: 'The rugby club built up a neighborly relationship so I was invited to their members only annual charity event. There were buses and coaches bringing people to the event.

Cruise wore a three-piece suit at the Scientology event  last October . He thanked Sussex local Phil Major for his help and insisted the pair had a picture taken together

'It was an unbelievable marquee [tent], it could fit more than 6,000 people it was stunning. We walked in and had to sign our names. Someone took us into the manor house and we were handed a glass of expensive champagne.

'I sat in the second row at the main conference right next to Tom Cruise, it lasted for three hours. They talked about all the projects around the world and Tom would constantly stand up applauding. Some people we wearing headsets, I remember being told there were 24 different translations for the speeches.

'A lot of people from different countries would come up to collect awards and there was a lot of flag waving. It was a lot like the Eurovision song contest.

'In the conference they kept being critical about psychologists, it was very anti-drugs, anti-medicine.

'There was bottomless champagne. A lot of the Councillors  were there from the East Grinstead town council. We sat down for dinner around 11pm for a four-course meal. I'm no wine expert but even I could tell it was very good. The food was incredible, it was Michelin quality and up there with some of the best restaurants in the world.

'Miscavige didn't join us but came in during the meal to speak to a member of the council, Bob Mainstone.'

It emerged Miscavige spent time in East Grinstead in his early teens and attended a local school where Mainstone was a teacher.

When asked about his relationship with Miscavige, Mainstone said: 'David was the all-American boy when he came here, he was about 14 and stayed for two years. He was exceptional at basketball, a real wizard on the court. He was really popular with the other students but I don't remember him being especially close with anyone, there wasn't a girlfriend that I knew of.'

Speaking about their reunion at the Scientology event he said: 'He's still a live wire and is always pleased to see me.'

Mainstone also had the pleasure of meeting Cruise who he describes as 'nice and unassuming.'

Speaking about his visit, Major, 54, revealed: 'They recently had a huge renovation. If you were to put a figure on it I'd say at least [$16] million. It was ridiculous, [it was] such a big project, hundreds of sub-contractors were working there.

'It went on for three or four months. They were having loads of stuff done, a lot of building work, groundwork and a new car park.

'They came over and asked to use our car park during the weekdays and they filled our entire place with contractors, you wouldn't have been able to park if you came here last September.

Working in the UK: Tom Cruise is currently filming scenes for The Mummy in Oxford, England, alongside actress Annabelle Wallis, pictured right with him

This is the estate south of London that Cruise is selling. He bought it for $4.75 million in 2006. It's currently listed at $7.3 million

Cruise and ex-wife, Katie Holmes picked up the bucolic property dubbed Rede Place in 2006. It is located near East Grinstead in West Sussex,  just a handful of miles from Saint Hill Manor

Says local Phil Major about Miscavige: 'He reminded me of the character BenStiller plays in the film Dodgeball. Very pristine, very intense, everything from the way he dressed, talked and walked was immaculate'

'I was introduced to Tom, he made a lot of effort and we spoke about sports for the most of it. He asked for a picture with me, we were talking privately and then I turned around to see a dozen photographers ready and waiting.'

Despite being greeted by an A-list star it was the Church's leader who left the biggest impression on Major.

He said: 'It was Miscavige, the head guy, who I was impressed with. The top actors in the world couldn't come close with him. He speaks so fast and there were no stutters or pauses. I was taken in by the quality of his delivery. He's very persuading.

'He reminded me of the character Ben Stiller plays in the film Dodgeball. Very pristine, very intense, everything from the way he dressed, talked and walked was immaculate.'

Speaking about his visit, Major, 54, revealed: 'They recently had a huge renovation. If you were to put a figure on it I'd say at least [$16] million. It was ridiculous, [it was] such a big project, hundreds of sub-contractors were working there'

He also revealed: 'Scientology bought Fonthill Lodge School, it used to be a private school but folded so they bought the land too.'

Photographs show the Church is extending even further with builders working on site and leveling a large portion of land, typically done before laying down foundations for a new building.

Daily Mail Online has learned that Cruise sees the UK move as the perfect chance to bond with adopted daughter Isabella, 23 and is grooming her to be a potential new leader of the Church.

He's been taking helicopter pilot lessons in Surrey, just 12 miles from Bella's home in the London suburb Croydon.

Having a helicopter pilot's license will mean Cruise and Bella can fly directly to the Scientology HQ in private.

'They're in regular contact and being so close to each other in England has done wonders for their relationship which has at times been nonexistent,' a source tells Daily Mail Online.

The source adds: 'Tom's made a real effort with her lately and he clearly believes having a strong woman like Bella as a senior figure of the Church will help recruitment and its image as a whole.

'Bella has been studying new Scientology courses and privately discussed the idea with her friends in Clearwater who've been fully supportive of it.'

She recently married Max Parker, a non-Scientologist who works as an IT technician and is supportive of Bella's beliefs.

Despite persistent rumors of a strained relationship between Bella and her adoptive parents, Bella insisted earlier this month that all was well.

She put paid to rumors she and her mom and dad are estranged. 'Of course we talk, they're my parents', adding, anyone who says otherwise is 'full of s**t.'

Actress Nicole, 48, was in London at the time of Bella's wedding rehearsing for a role in a West End play, while Cruise's busy schedule was cited for his absence from the ceremony.

Indeed only a handful of friends were present at the intimate ceremony.

After shunning the glitz and glamor of her formative years, Bella says she dreams in the future of starting a family of her own.: 'I'm 23, so we'll see...I'm still a baby myself.'

In September, Daily Mail Online revealed how she had settled into conjugal life in a quiet corner of Croydon - the birth place of model Kate Moss.

It's also home for more than 20 years to her husband's family - his father is a test pilot at Gatwick Airport, while his mother works as an antiques restorer.

Bella is Kidman and Cruise's second adopted child. Their adopted son Connor lives close to Bella in Croydon.