The formation is beautifully sited on the northern slope of Hackpen Hill, close to the Ridgeway path, between two tree-clad knolls, with far-reaching views. 

Access is easy from the Ridgeway path, this section of which is open to car traffic, but I suggest leaving vehicles in the car park by the road and walking the few hundred metres.   From the corner of the field, head left on the entrance tramlines and take the second on the right to get into the formation. 

The crop is strongly growing wheat which has taken a clear and crisp impression despite the typical soft, lay for this stage of the season with unripe corn. Although heavily trafficked, the path lines of laid crop are broad in this formation and most people walk down the middle, so one can still see from the rest how it all must have looked originally with the corn mostly lying only half down. The lay throughout is fresh and flowing, with what I'd describe as a lively energy. The 4 nodes of intersection have some complex and interesting lays which look much better on the ground than in the aerials, including a well off-centre 'starburst' feature in each one.  The central area is now well trampled and flattened by visitors sitting and lying on the ground (5 full car loads left as I arrived, lucky for me) but the central standing corn is still intact and shows no sign of tampering. 

Near the northern edge of the formation there's a small animal hole, I think a badger's outlier, and I noticed that the corn, though thin on the ground there (due to the badger's comings and goings earlier in the season), had divided to flow around the hole - nice. Unusually for badgers there was faeces right in the entrance (normally they have a separate toilet pit some way off) which made me wonder if he was in residence and caught short during the circle making event!! but with the totally dry soil there were no footprints or tracks I could see. 

As I left, one of the self-appointed circle guardian / money collectors was arriving, but as usual, all visitors were already respectfully using the tramlines and no damage was being done outside the formation. 

Graham