Ground Report – Hill Barn (2), Wiltshire, 26/07/12

There is something enigmatic about this striking formation.

The tapering arms remind me of the jellyfish and caterpillar of 2009, but apart from that I’ve never seen anything like it before.

This incredible design is one of those formations which will be, and should be, discussed mainly because of how it looks from above, but, as ever, there are intricacies and details at ground level which add to the mystery and intrigue.

Firstly, the central row of standing rings and laid circles. These are beautifully executed, with two circles (the central circles if seen as two pairs of three) containing a large central tuft, the rest  with flattened, splayed centres (see below). Only one of the six standing rings spans a tramline, therefore the other five do not (at least until someone has made a path into them) have direct access.

There is a read fluidity to the laid wheat throughout most of the formation, including in the larger flattened sections. Here there is often multi-layering and crop flowing in opposing directions, overlapping many times.

The laid crop in each of the ‘arms’ all flows from the centre of the formation to the outer ‘tips.’ Generally it appears to have been laid gently, maintaining a fluffy quality in all but the central ‘strip’ where visitors have tended to walk most.

In the small circles at the end of each of the ‘arms’ there are either standing tufts or splayed centres, as in the central circles. Standing tufts are situated within the two ‘arms’ at one end of the formation and the outer two of the six ‘arms’ at the opposite end.

It is worth noting that the ‘arm’ pictured above crosses no tramlines and originally would have been separated from the rest of the formation by standing crop, left as a 1-2ft wide section around its ‘base.’

The two ‘almond’ shapes at each end of the formation have been formed by the crop being swept from one end (closest to the centre of the design) towards the other, flowing neatly around the central standing area. There is some neat overlapping as the two flows meet and continue to the outer point.

This crop circle has inspired mixed feelings by its unusual and mysterious design. Personally I absolutely love it, in a way I can’t explain. I felt compelled to visit the formation 4 times and spent considerably longer here than I normally would. I was thrilled that the farmer (or farm manager) had originally allowed visitors to the circle but then (for reasons I don’t know) he had a change of heart and cut part of the design.

Thank you again to the farmer for allowing so many people to experience such a wonderful crop circle at the busiest time of the season.

Crop Circle Summary

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