Farningham, nr Swanley. Kent. Reported 25th April.

CROP CIRCLES IN 2000

Farningham, nr Swanley. Kent. Reported 25th April.

Updated Sunday 21st May 2000

Please click on thumbnails to enlarge.

Kent's first formation for the year 2000 has just arrived! An excellent view of this oil seed rape formation can be clearly seen from the M20 (London bound), shortly before the M25 junction. It is situated at Farningham, Kent between the M20 and the A20 (the Brands Hatch road). The formation is approximately 70 - 80 feet in diameter, consisting of a circle with a triangular shape within. There was also a centre-piece shape, but we were unable to discern it, due to the failing light. Further down the field, we viewed a possible circular grapeshot (approx. 6 feet diameter). Even though we were aware of the roar of the motorway traffic, as soon as we approached the edge of the field and glimpsed the formation, the nearby church bells of St. Peter & St. Paul's started to ring! Nearby Farningham village, situated on the River Darent, is very picturesque and is well worth a visit.

(Digital photos were taken but because of poor light, they were not successful - we will try
again tomorrow.)

Graham & Janet Tucker CCCS & MCC

Visiting the nearby church of St. Peter & St. Paul's, in Farningham village, we couldn't help but notice a pierced trefoil design, that was found incorporated into the roof of the rustic lychgate. Interestingly, it would seem to suggest or feature the same underlying geometry employed in
the formation, just a quarter of a mile away!

Graham Tucker
M.C.C.

Photo: Janet Tucker
Line drawings: Graham Tucker
Copyright 2000

Sorry - still no luck with digital photo - could not zoom in close enough & the light this evening was very bad - threatening rain. However, I did take a few with 35mm camera, so will send copies when film is processed. Meanwhile, Graham has drawn an estimated diagram & written another brief report:-

"Whilst trying to photograph the formation late today (Thursday 27th), we met a couple of 'croppies' who had actually visited it earlier this morning at approx. 10 a.m. They were quite impressed with the multi-directional floor-lay that seemed to swirl and form triangular shapes. Although they found evidence of muddy footprints and some crop breakage, the vast majority of stems were bent without breakage. With the bloom still intact, some stems were found to be curved, where the lay changed direction in a 'U' turn! They had also dowsed the formation and found that it was generally lacking energy, but where the stalks altered course they found a more positive reaction."

Report by Graham Tucker CCCS & MCC

I visited the Farningham formation on Thursday 27th but didn't spend to long there, thus my pictogram is not of the same calibre as I would usually deliver, i.e. no tramlines and sense of scale. Though the ring thickness may not be super-accurate the overall image is.

For rape, it had a nice lay with a few intricacies. Whilst there was some breakage here there, disregarding parts that people had walked on I could not see any marks on the stems that would indicate pressure by way of a stick or other implement. We all know how easy that stuff marks even if you brush your finger over it. I would say overall very few people had walked through it at the time so it was in good condition. Some of the stems at the very base were bent seemingly beyond the normal, like 90º without disturbance to the surrounding soil. To straighten it would have moved the earth around the base. This is relevant unless of course a strong down-pour had repacked the soil since its inception.

Report by Peter Ainsworth 27/04/2000

I did not notify you immediately when I heard of this formation notified John Sayer on the 25th because after the holiday weekend I thought it wise to investigate it first. With permission from the farmer David and Audrey Thomas and a young relative accompanied me into the formation. This may have looked pristine from the M20 but was somewhat messy although the components had been carefully constructed. The OSR is growing in a clay/flint on chalk soil which is extremely muddy in the tramlines after the recent heavy rain. I don't think there had been any visitors apart from the `creators` of the formation as there was only a sprinkling of mud on the top of the laid crop, which appeared to start off with a clockwise swirl and then changed direction once or twice to accommodate the components of the circle. However after careful examination underneath the laid crop I found footprints which were fairly inconspicuous, possibly because the formation had been made during the holiday week- end most of which had been dry and quite warm. But they were there, noticeably where the crop changed direction and where some force had been required to lay down the first stems of the new direction. In each case the stems had been snapped at the base, some of these were half to three quarters of an inch in diameter. and there was visible damage to the lower part of the stems which were split and scraped. In all parts there was evidence of damage.

The formation has been noted in our records and a diagram has been made with measurements. The diameter of the circle was 116ft The centre contained an equilateral triangle. The outside circle of laid crop measured 8ft across; an inner circle 4ft wide, also of
laid crop, led into a triangular area of laid crop which contained the smaller triangle described above in the centre. I think you will have soon a digital picture . from Andrew King which shows the formation reasonably well. The farmer was very courteous and helpful and allowed access but requires other visitors to phone him first before entering the formation, which is not easily accessed without the
know-how which I will pass on if phoned on 01959 573433.

Report by Joyce Galley, CCCS and Kent Coordinator. 29/04/2000

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Mark Fussell & Stuart Dike

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