Image © 2008 Peter Sorensen

This formation appeared in rapeseed (canola) under the White Horse at Alton Barnes, on the 4th of May (nicely timed for Beltane!). It is obviously a very close relative of the crescents formation at Waden hill last month, which was the first circle of the year. Judging by the tramline spacing, I’d say this one is about 60 feet in diameter.

- Peter Sorensen

Image © 2008 Charles Mallett

This circle formation was first seen at 6am on Sunday May 4th 2008, and reported to the Silent Circle very soon after that initial observation. The circle is positioned directly below the Milk Hill White horse at Alton Barnes, Wiltshire.

The circle measures approximately 140 feet in diameter and spans across two tram-lines in this field of Oil-Seed-Rape (Canola)

On the ground the circle was largely undamaged when the Silent Circle first visited it for close inspection at around 10 am on day one. Around 90 – 95% of the laid crop was completely undamaged and was continuing its healthy growth parallel with the ground at that time.

The only area where significant damage was obvious was around the central region of the circle where some very physical crushing of the delicate plants had occurred.
One of the tram-lines leading into the circle, from the north, had a number of boot-prints in and also some damage was apparent to various plants growing in that line. All other conventional access routs into the circle were clean with no evidence of prior entry or exit by people. The amount of damage within the circle was consistent with a small number of early (Human) visitors to the formation, which in turn was consistent with the foot trodden tram-line leading to the circle.

- Charles Mallett