Ancient English coat of arms appears at Beckhampton

One of the many aspects of crop circling, is debating on the possible meaning or interpretation of the designs, as they appear. The 2001 season, has seen a mixture of such wonderful patterns, but the others have incorporated into the shape, similarities to well known emblems, symbols etc. This latest shape at Beckhampton, had quite an unmistakable likeness to the Tudor Rose. When Henry VII was made king, uniting both York and Lancaster, he chose as his emblem a made-up symbol of a white and red rose. It wasn’t until the reign of Henry VIII that he decided to represent these combined roses as an emblem for his beloved England. But what are the combined roses exactly? Well, the House of Lancaster was a traditional red rose, supposedly the Gallica Officinalis, while York has a white rose, the Alba semi-plena.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

Images Stuart Dike Copyright 2001

“The overall design was very impressive, and at the time it was the best in the area, because of its articulate construction”

Situated just outside of the village of Beckhampton, but tucked away from the road, but Silbury Hill can be seen in a north easterly direction. These fields overall, have been very lightly used by the phenomenon, but the field directly next door became part of a controversial TV documentary’s experiment in human circle making.

The design at Beckhampton, resembles the two roses, as used by the Tudors, but the reason for this appearance is a complete mystery. The location however, is a field that has not been hit before by the Circlemakers.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

Images Stuart Dike Copyright 2001

The overall design was very impressive, and at the time it was the best in the area, because of its articulate construction. The floor pattern was very well executed, but one couldn’t help noticing the underlying pathways coming out from the central section of the design. These separated the five petals, but there were also five small spurs placed in-between the pathways, running out into the crop. After a while, the center was damaged by people either falling into it, of deliberately defacing the formation, which has happened in the past. You can see this by comparing our own image with Steve Alexander’s.

The community received the formation very well. A pleasing shape, and visited heavily by the tourists, and international croppies. It was positioned at the very bottom of the slope that leads up the Roman road, which runs diagonally across the downs, across to Silbury Hill.

but the red roses variety has been used for medicinal purposes on occasions, but it is also the most ancient of all cultivated roses seen today. Thought to be brought over from Europe by the Crusades in the 12^th century, but the white rose dates back to the 15^th century.

Report by Stuart Dike