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 Mark Fussell & Stuart Dike
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Updated Saturday 18th July 1997
REPORT
The location is at a place called Fox Hill (according to the board map) just under a radio transmitter of some sort. You take the B4005 to Chiseldon (from Wroughton), turn right onto the A345 then immediately left on the road towards the B4192; on the B4192 turn right then immediately left on the road towards Hinton Parva (that's one way to do it anyway!). Soon after you cross the motorway you come to a junction (I think) underneath Fox Hill and the transmitter. The formation is on the right, clearly visible from and next to the road and a path leading to the Ridgeway. I'm afraid I don't have an OS map of that area.
I don't think there's any likelihood of the formation being genuine. It's a HELL of a mess,with no crisp lines round the edges and no discernible pattern from ground level. If there is any pattern you're only likely to see it from the air. It comprises of seven minor formations and some rough grapeshot. The biggest formation is by the road (north) and then each pattern gradually diminishes in size till the seventh in the south, higher up the hill. The second and third groups have crop still standing in their centres.
I've seen messy circles carved out by rooks in Devon and by a wind vortex near Oxford, but this was definitely something else - I would say people, just larking around. I'd like to be proved wrong but I doubt I will be! Anyway, you or someone might want to take a look if they're in the area.
UPDATE Monday 16th June 1997
David would like us to state to the effect that the formation at Fox Hill is almost certainly not genuine. He got a call from Jeremy in the Oxford and National CCCS who had gone there and saw only wind damage - the formation must have deteriorated even further. He wanted to clear this matter up as he wouldn't liked to have been responsible for more people wasting their time!
David Johnstone, Oxford