Ground Report – Horton, Wiltshire, 03/07/05

This second formation to appear on Sunday 3rd is located on both sides of the road between Allington and Horton. It comprises six circular elements, of varying sizes and lay patterns. The obvious and immediate characteristic is that the largest of the main circles is actually bisected by the road!

Driving into the lay-by next to the pillbox where the crop circle is located, I initially missed the section crossing over the road, only noticing it when I climbed on top of the pillbox to get to a higher vantage point. The field on the south side of the road is a few feet lower than on the other side, but his appears not to have affected the accuracy of the design.

In the field on the south side of the road there are three circles. The largest of the three measures 57ft across and contains a standing ring 5ft from the edge. The direction of the lay in this circle is clockwise and the crop appears not to have been flattened to the ground too firmly. The standing ring is 2ft wide and the laid circle within has a diameter of 9ft.

The next ringed circle measures 8ft across, and the laid ring is 1ft wide. Following the direction of the tramlines, the next circle is 33ft in diameter and has a central swirl measuring 8ft. The rest of the crop in this circle is laid radially in four sections towards the standing crop, where it gently flows up the edge. Underneath this crop is a 2ft wide path which flows clockwise around the outer edge.

Within this circle the flow is more haphazard than in the others, and there is some slight damage to some of the stems. These three circles do not appear to be aligned in any obvious direction, but do follow the curve of the tramline as it goes into the field. The main circle lies directly underneath a telephone cable which runs through the edge of the field.

Where the crop crossed over the tramlines in some places there is damage to the seed heads.

There is some evidence of kinking on the stems particularly in the main circle. Around the outer edge of the standing ring there were more muddy footprints than in the main flow. Whether this was caused by visitors is impossible to say.

The circles on the north side of the road, the largest of which is cut in half by it, are more refined. The crop in these circles seems to be in slightly better condition that in the others and shows little evidence of damage. The widest part of the main circle measures 59ft. At the roadside, some other plants have been swept into the lay, and are also undamaged.

There is a single circle with a diameter of 24ft, and a smaller ringed circle which measures a little more than 10ft. The standing ring between the circle and the ring is 3ft wide on one side, narrowing to 1ft wide on the opposite side. This appears to have some similarity to the standing rings within the crop circle near Silbury Hill last week.

The crop is laid clockwise in all of these circles, and within the single circle there is a nice swirled centre around a standing tuft.

This selection of crop circles is different in many ways from the East Field formation. Its smaller scale, far simpler design and roadside location create an interesting contrast. The fact that the crop circle is positioned across the road is particularly exciting, the second event of its kind this year. As far as I know there has only been one formation in Horton previously. In my opinion this adds to the intrigue of this little specimen!

Crop Circle Summary

New Circles

Ground Report

Gallery

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