Upper Beeding, nr Steyning, West Sussex. Reported 25th July.

CROP CIRCLES IN 1999

Description: Double ringer with outline ring of 16 rectangular boxes, a three-leaf cloverleaf design and eleven grapeshot of varying sizes.

Crop: Wheat

Report: This attractive collection of shapes was found on 25th July by a local SC reader in the certain knowledge that it was not there the previous day, and reported to Andy Thomas of Southern Circular Research. It seems to have an astronomical or floral look to it. The formation appeared in the same field (not far from the very spot) as a pictogram from 1995 which contained a similar cloverleaf design as part of its design. A similar cloverleaf pattern also appeared in another Sussex formation from 1995 at nearby Mill Hill, Shoreham. In yet another hark back to 1995, the ring of 16 rectangular boxes seen in this new formation also featured in an elaborate dumbbell formation which appeared at Cissbury Ring, West Sussex, exactly four years ago to the day.

The diameter of the double ringer (minus the boxes) is 72'. The crop is neatly and interestingly laid. All the circles have good swirls but the cloverleaf circles are in fact outer rings with the rest of the crop laid outwards from the centre of the design in straight lines to form the circles, instead of the expected spirals. Some of the small circles/grapeshot lie in between tramlines - no entry marks were visible on first inspection. One small circle has a central standing tuft.

The farmer is not happy at the arrival of the formation which can clearly be seen overlooking the A283 Bramber to Shoreham road, and he has already evicted several visitors. He has, however, kindly agreed to let SCR perform a full survey which will take place this week.

Report by ANDY THOMAS

A new formation appeared at Upper Beeding on Saturday 24th night/Sunday 25th morning in the same field as the one in 1995 - Ref Sussex 1995/12 (see Fields of Mystery p iv for picture or p 68 for diagram). That formation appeared on 23rd July (1995)

Formation is complex and a combination of previous ones in that area.

It consists of something like a triple ringed circle where the outer ring is actually 16 boxes - like the 2nd part of the formation at Cissbury Ring in 1995 (Ref Sussex 1995/10 - see Fields of Mystery p80 for photo ) which was close by. Additionally there is the triple, touching, ringed circles which we have now had three times in that area (see also Sussex 1995/09 at Shoreham that appeared on 8th July 1995 which was also close by - see F of M p79 & p iv for photographs)

Whilst the farmer is allowing a small group of SC members in to survey it, he has announced that he will shoot any 'aliens' found in his field after dark! Be warned, as this is the same farmer who gave us permission to enter in 1995 & then called the police whilst we were in it! He blockaded our cars in with his Land Rover and told the police that we did NOT have permission to enter. Some nifty talking by yours truly eventually got us out of a tight situation! This was also the same farmer who, in 1995, admitted off the record that he had seen multicoloured lights shooting up from the field into the sky the night the formation appeared - his bedroom overlooks the field in question.

So, four formations for Sussex so far. All in fields that have previously had formations and all similar to those previous formations.

There is definitely a pattern emerging.

Keep your eyes on those 'old' Sussex fields.

Reported by Barry Reynolds (SC)