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Code: SUSSEX 2003/03
Location: NEWMARKET HILL, nr WOODINGDEAN, EAST SUSSEX #2
Reported: 25th May 2003
Crop: Oilseed rape
Design: S-shape curve of circles and paths
Dimensions: Several hundred feet total length
Surveyed by: Allan Brown, Andy Thomas & Helen Sewell, 25 May 2003
REPORT: This is the second formation to appear in this field this
month. It lies directly alongside the 'thought bubble' of 14 May.
This pattern is much larger than its predecessor,
and is comprised of a central 102ft circle, with four diminishing
circles on each side (thus nine in all, forming an S-shape), both
sides leading to long 200ft (approx) curved paths which culminate in
25ft circles. These paths are not unlike the design of last year's
first Sompting formation. The glyph's size is highly impressive and
it must rate as one of the largest Sussex formations we've yet had.
The lay is very neat with more wonderful central
splays in some of the circles. There is almost no damage to the rape
stems at all (the yellow rape flowers in the field are almost gone).
The farmer reports that the new design was not
present yesterday, making the date of 25 May the firm appearance. The
night of its arrival was thus one of torrential rain between at least
12.30am and 2.00am - not nice conditions!
Southern FM radio reported the formation, leading to many cars pulling
into the lay-bys below the field to view it.
More details to follow when the survey data has been processed.
Report by ANDY THOMAS
Code: SUSSEX 2003/03
Location: NEWMARKET HILL, nr WOODINGDEAN, EAST SUSSEX #2
Reported: 25th May 2003
ADDENDUM REPORT - SURVEY DETAILS:
Diagrams by ALLAN BROWN Copyright 2003 The farmer himself alerted us to the arrival of the
formation, which appeared next to the thought bubble of 14th May, and
as far as we know we were first in, as the crop inside was pristine.
Immediately we could see where we ourselves had walked inside, as in
those areas the crop was pressed down flat, the flowers visibly
damaged and the stems bruised. There was just not a single clue that
anyone had been trampling around inside. There were no broken stalks,
and no scuff marks at all on the stems.
The circles butted neatly against each other,
leaving the finest of veils between them. The centres were almost all
off-set to some degree. The tension of the tape when we were
measuring from the centre of the middle circle out along the arms was
so strong that we were pulling each other over and the tape was
catching and dragging through the crop. The centres were nice and the
crop spiralled out in a curve from the centres to the edges.
Conditions that night were abysmal, with heavy rain
for much of the night. The farmer saw the design in the field as soon
as he looked out, and he called us at about 8.45am. We were in it by
10.00am. At its widest, the formation is 408ft across, and about
300ft from satellite circle to satellite circle, so it's pretty big.
It took us three hours just to walk through it once and then measure
it up.
Diagrams by ALLAN BROWN Copyright 2003 One visitor who came into the field while we were
there commented on the fact that the water which was all over the
downed crop from the heavy rain, was immediately removed by feet, and
yet there was no sign of this when we first walked through it.
Geometrically the design is very simple, and, as usual, the simplicity
is beautiful. There are 11 manifest circles, with the two arm arcs
being another semi-realised pair, making the formation comprise a
totality of 13 inherent and explicit circles. There was a primary
tracer path laid down beneath the circles. The interpretation of this
is completely open. Almost all crop circles exhibit these sort of
construction arcs, such as the famous Stonehenge Julia Set of 1996,
which appeared by daylight within 45 minutes, and had just such a
feature.
Several days on and the formation is looking
remarkably squashed and bashed; it doesn't take many visitors to
destroy a rape formation, but quite a few people have been in, as a
small article and a terrible roadside picture appeared in the local
'Argus' newspaper, and radio stations announced its appearance.
Another circle has since been trampled out between the northern
satellite circle and the main centre circle. If this is any gauge
with which to judge the finesse of the actual formation, then they're
in completely different leagues. The new addition is just a chaotic
mass of broken, bent and smashed stems.
Report by ALLAN BROWN & ANDY THOMAS
Diagrams by ALLAN BROWN
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