The very last fields as you drive along the road towards Devizes, from Beckhampton, just before the dual carriageway, have been a target for the circle makers since the early nineties. Many have formed on the slopes and flats along this busy stretch of road, much to our excitement and enjoyment. However, the last two seasons has been a hot spot of hostility from a particular Farmer who owns these fields in this area. This latest formation is no exception, as once again, many of us in the Crop Circle Community experienced further hostility from this Farmer.

As I write this report, he maybe in the process of cutting out this work of art from his field. This would be a tragedy, as this latest formation is once again masterful in execution. Only time will tell if the farmer decides to keep the formation within his field.

On the very night this formation appeared, a couple of night watchers decided to camp out (literally only a hundred yards from the formation) within the field. Around the early hours of the morning, they were awoken by strange sounds coming from the field itself, and had an uneasy feeling about the whole experience. Amazingly they soon went back to sleep, only to be woken up by sounds of Helicopters flying low over the field, with Police Cars, and mobile cranes. This was the scene, early on that Tuesday morning.

The formation itself, is really a play on design, already seen in the Avebury area. Early indications suggest that the inner central pattern, has the same dimensions as the Silbury Hill (ringed) formation, and possibly Southfield. More research needs to be established on this, using tracings to overlap different formations on top of each other. I am however predicting a very similar overall measurement.

The outer ring was extremely neat, with a small outer pathway circumscribing the entire formation. This pathway was put down first with the rest of the plants flattened later. The triangular outer sections contained some of the best sunburst centres seen this year, each one has a splayed central part, with a three directional flow making up the shape. On the inner central 8 pointed star arrangement, standing centres on each of the triangular bases, with neat twists around the standing crop.

This is a highly impressive formation, with regards to its design, and proportions, but was placed in the wrong part of the Avebury landscape. We very rarely here at the Crop Circle Connector have to show our alarm at the positioning of certain formations, but this time the circle makers (whoever you are) had got it wrong! I just wish that they would learn from the basket weave last year, as their design may only be temporary?

Report by Stuart Dike.

UPDATE

This is an update on my last report. Since I wrote the report on Bishops Cannings, I was quite angry about the situation regarding the attitude of the Farmer. I feared that his actions would result in cutting out this work of art from the field. However, common sense has prevailed, and he has decided to leave the formation in the field, just as long as visitors use the tramlines, and give a small donation towards the local parish church. This is great news, and perhaps the beauty of this phenomenon has penetrated his rather closed viewpoint on the crop circles.

Stuart Dike.. 2nd July 2000

I've seen a circle on my way to work that doesn't appear to be on your, or any other site that I know of. It can be seen from the road on the A361 from Devizes to Avebury. The formation is actually on the left just as you leave Devizes, in the next field to the one that had the spectacular formation last year (where the farmer 'harvested' the formation the day after it was created). I couldn't catch too much of a view of it (running late for work), but it looked pretty big. Hope it's not going into the Combine harvester at the moment!

Report by Martin Ford

I met the farmer who owns the field at Bishop Cannings last week and he is pleased with the fact that your site advises people to stick to tram lines and follow the country code and feels that he over reacted last year with the cutting out of the circle.

Noel Beauchamp

Last Saturday (1^st July) I went to pick up my friend Kath Fletcher so we could go visit some crop formations. She excitedly told me there was a new crop circle at Bishops Cannings- near where last years spectacular ‘Basket’ formation was -and showed me the crop circle connector report. We decided to go directly there and as we came along the dual carriageway the formation came into view, still intact. We parked in the nearest lay-by and were amazed to discover a huge notice by the farm gate welcoming anyone to visit this formation and politely requesting a donation be put into a box, which would then be given to the local church funds. What had happened here???!!! A miraculous change of heart! We gladly put some money in and walked up to the lovely formation. It was impressive as described by Stuart , but we felt it to be in exactly the right location. We spent some time just enjoying being there and absorbing the wonderful peaceful energy. It felt a very healing experience.

As we walked out of the field there at the gate was the Farmer (I recognised him from last years Internet pictures), collecting the honesty box and placing another box there. We were so happy to be able to thank him personally for the opportunity to visit his field and told him so. He said "Don’t thank me, thank my wife" We asked him to thank her very much ,saying how we appreciated their kind permission. He politely asked us what we thought of the formation so we explained how we felt in there. We thanked him again and drove off to the Barge Inn, absolutely delighted at what seemed a miracle!

On arrival at the Barge we spoke to a couple of leading crop circle researchers - who themselves said they were delighted at the incredible change of attitude by this particular farmer. One of them had that day put a note in this farmer’s ‘honesty’ box expressing her thanks and appreciation.

I was at Bishops Cannings last year a few minutes after the ‘Basket’ formation was harvested so welcome this positive contrast in the Farmer’s attitude............. ( ref article in WCCSG’s Spiral magazine issue 46 November 1999).

We note that many more farmers this season have put in these ‘honesty’ boxes, and are pleased to put in our donations and be able to enter the crop circles........ a much more positive atmosphere.......

Lyn Collin, West Sussex

What if the placement of the 8-rayed sun at Bishop Cannings, in the field beside the woven Basket last august, is completely on purpose? It's hardly conceivable that the circle makers who often respond to the meditations and wishes of circle researchers, are time after time unaware of the passionate attitudes of last year's harvesting farmer. Or that the tradition of locating formations at strongly energetic power places, along with the extreme precision-placement of the lay itself in both these circles - is matched here by a year-after-year careless, random placement of the formations themselves. Statistically, the very fact that the fields are adjacent, points toward a premeditated continuity.

Just as the Basket's complexity was a quantum jump, it's intention may be a jump in human dialogue. Instead of attracting only previous believers and the curious, these circles suddenly address a proven resister and his sympathizers. Remember, farmers' work produces the grain fields, their livelihood. The message this time is perhaps as much for debate with and within the farming community, personified by this farmer, as for the croppies' enthusiasm. We've seen before, that the circle makers have a provoking, stimulating, and joking side.

By confronting the sceptical camp, a head-on meeting takes place. In the first round, this farmer immediately harvested the gift, but only ten months later, by moving a new gift to just next door, he too gets a chance to move a little and reconsider somewhat. And it's worked! - He's even giving his circle earnings to spirituality (the local church). Earlier, both the researchers and the farmer angrily accused the other side of "vandalism". But both parts can now learn from last year's Basket - it's a lesson from, not for, the circle makers. So one message may be: "Create a more congenial dialogue. Try to understand the other's position."

Perhaps some greater inclusion of the individual farmers from CCC's side would be helpful in future. For instance, when they're cooperative, naming them personally in the field reports if they like, with a grateful thanks for their help. Negotiating more understandingly, not publicly treating them like the enemy, when they're trying to protect themselves. As here, a routine inclusion of the Countryside Code is a good idea. After all, an invasion by innumerable croppies, researchers, perhaps helicopters and film crews too, through an entire season, can seem to be harassment!

Copyright 7/2000 Jonah Ohayv

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