Medway Crop Circle 2004 Page

Crop Circles in Kent of 2004........

THE BURHAM CIRCLES

Burham, Nr. Maidstone

JULY 14th 2004 - Wheat

MAP REF: TQ736621 (Approx.)

Arriving in mid July, this beautiful formation could easily be seen from the Bluebell Hill Picnic Area. It Consisted of thirty-one circles, with many linked by concentric rings that acted as pathways.

On day one it was crackle fresh! There were no visible signs of entry, and you couldn't even access the centre circle, which again showed no signs of a breakthrough. The crop was bent to the ground, not creased nor broken, and the seedheads appeared quite intact. Because the crop was spread a little thin in places, it meant that the soil underneath was quite visible. Fortunately we found no evidence of any soil disturbance, apart that is from what we were creating! In fact no post or marker holes were found, or indeed, any infilling or earth disturbance, as to where they might logically have been. The floor lay was springy and interesting (although not that interesting if you know what I mean!) Somehow it seemed to remind me of a typical Wiltshire floorlay circa '98, '99, even down to some of the sparsely raised centre-fans.

Tucked into a corner of the field, the formation partially dips into a fairly deep hollow that runs through its middle. It's this central dip that indicates roughly the whereabouts of an old tunnel that lies underneath the field, that leads into an old abandoned chalk quarry. These old workings have been spectacularly reclaimed by nature, with the result that they are now a beautiful haven for flora and fauna. The Medway Valley has been marked for centuries by the scars of chalk quarries, for chalk was excavated as far back as Roman times for the making of quick lime. In fact the nearby village of Burham was established by this industry.

As with many of Kent's past formations, this was yet another that was placed beside one of our ancient trackways, The Pilgrims Way. This is the roadway that sort of runs past this field (although you could only access the formation by taking one of the farm tracks that lay on either side).

Many alignments criss-cross this whole area, and this formation firmly sat upon one. Starting at the Countless Stones, which are about half a mile away to the south-east, this alignment runs directly through where the formation was, before crossing the Pilgrims Way. It then slices through the exact location of the "Pyramid" formation of May 2000, that was just in front of Starkeys Castle, before finally heading straight for the altar inside Cuxton Church!

Also common to this formation and what Kent has almost come to expect on a regular basis, is the classic six-fold geometric ingredient you see below!

Diagram © Graham Tucker

After a couple of storm bashings and with quite a number of visitors merrily stomping through, the formation rapidly deteriorated, and naturally became considerably the worse for wear just before it was harvested, two weeks later.

The farmer was convinced that it was once again the handiwork of the boys in the village..."I know who they are"...he repeated slowly.

Diagram © Graham Tucker

Photo © Brian Damerell

Photo © Andrew King

Photo © Graham Tucker

Photo © William Betts

"Magic Bends"

Photo © Graham Tucker

THE NASHENDEN FARM FORMATION

Nashenden Valley, Borstal, Nr. Rochester

JULY 31st 2004 - Wheat

OS Map Ref: - TQ729655 (Approx.)

Hanging high above the Nashenden Valley at Borstal, was this superb formation which could easily be seen from the M2 motorway, just before the Medway Bridge. Spanning 150ft or so across, this was quite a spectacular event, which was geometrically based upon overlapping concentric circles. Once again some small satellite circles were included, that seemed to imitate those that featured in the earlier Burham formation. That formation consisted of 31 circles, and this one came down on the 31st of July!

Having a very distinctive "Kentish-feel" about it, it was quite neatly laid with crop that appeared mostly bent to the ground. Some of the small circles were attractively swirled.

Appearing where it was, it certainly would have been noticed by thousands daily as they sped along the motorway. "The Circlemakers" are certainly expert at attention seeking, and although a visit from the "Grim Reaper" finally put paid to it within less than a week, it had certainly had become a talking point!

Just where it was placed was certainly quite special, for it had lain just beside the North Downs Way, that within a short distance, leads to a meeting point with the ancient Pilgrims Way. At around 800ft below the formation at the back of Nashenden Farm, are some flint remains of Nashenden chapel that was built by the Normans at around the same time as Rochester Castle.

The North Downs Way that borders this field nearby, is sometimes a track and sometimes a pathway, and hidden amongst the trees that line it's route, lies a nearby tumulus that as far as I'm aware of hasn't been excavated. Nashenden Hill Fort of which nothing now remains occupied the top of the field at one time.

This formation comes within a stones throw of much that is past...something that crop circles are always trying to bring our attention to!