Medway Crop Circle 2005 Page

Crop Circles in Kent of 2005.................

THE BLUEBELL SPINNER

Bluebell Hill, Borstal, Nr. Maidstone

JUNE 19th 2005 - Wheat

OS Map Ref: - TQ741613 (Approx.)

This formation was yet another daytime arrival! (The fourth or possibly the fifth, to have arrived in daylight locally in as many years) Apparently this one arrived on Fathers Day within a time frame of less than an hour. Researcher Andy Fowlds whilst on a field reckky, checked out the viewing area at the Bluebell Hill Picnic Area at around 1.45 - 2.00pm on that day. Andy swears it wasn't there at that time, but when circle enthusiast Michael Figg arrived there just before 3.00pm, he found himself staring at a circle that was right in front of him! At the same time people at the picnic area seemed suddenly aware of it, as indeed was a pilot who just happened to be flying over it! He was performing in front of crowds at an air display at nearby Rochester Airport, and the commentators took great pleasure in announcing that he'd just spotted a crop circle!

As far as the formation was concerned though it was a real beaut! A classic Kent formation laid out in wheat, that revealed a tri-armed "spinner", that geometrically based itself upon a "Genesis" six-fold. This is the first time Kent has been on the receiving end of a "spinner", which over the years have strongly featured as a prominent player in "The Circlemakers" repertoire.

Clearly not circular, the formation was oblate and reminded many of the middle section of the "Hackpen Hill" masterpiece of '99. The thin circular arcs were no more than ten inches wide and the downed crop was gently laid over in a subtle criss-cross fashion. The lay was interesting to say the least...sometimes it appeared quite orderly, whilst in other sections it led us into multi-layered chaos!

In some areas, many single or small bunches of stalks, were left standing absolutely unaffected by whatever had laid down their neighbours. This rather surprising occurrence certainly wasn't an example of plants trying to recover. These particular stems had been deliberately missed out. It's as if "The Circlemakers" were saying, "Now if this was flattened by boards, how come so many plants set within very small distances away from each other, were left standing?"

Diagram © Graham Tucker

The design is similar in comparison to this Wiltshire formation back in July 1999

Photo © Steve Alexander

Photo © Andrew King

Photo © William Betts

THE MEOPHAM CIRCLES

Nurstead, Nr. Meopham

JULY 6th 2005 - Wheat

MAP REF: TQ 637684 (Approx.)

Certainly by Kent's more recent standards this very neat formation was quite small. Lying upon a hillside that's part of the Cobham Valley, it was really only just a stones throw from the ancient village of Nurstead. A village that's been acknowledged for good reason, for nearby Nurstead Court just happens to be one of the most famous and important medieval houses in England. Much of it like the village, dates back a lot further though, for it's well over 1000 years old and it was originally a Saxon Manor before the conquest. The hillside on which the formation lies was probably terraced by the Romans for wine production, long before it was set aside for wheat growing etc. Much evidence suggests this, and many Roman artefacts have been found within this area.

The formation consisted of three circles linked by a ring with another of equal size placed in the middle. All the circles measured approximately 20 feet wide, whilst the ring that acted as a linking pathway was approximately 3 feet wide. Every part of the downed crop was swept anti-clockwise and the formation measured around 70 - 80 feet across. Evidence suggested that it had been well visited, and many were of the opinion that the formation was probably a number of days older than its reported date. The circle centres for instance were well and truly flattened and although I would love to look upon this formation as being to the good, I'm certainly in no position to state its provenance.

What's quite interesting to note here is that on the 25th 0f June, Morravalle in Italy received an almost identical formation. Only on that occasion it was four circles linked by a ring with another in the middle. Two days later at Montegranaro, which is again in Italy, five circles were found, linked by a ring with another identical circle in the middle!

Diagram © Graham Tucker

Photo © Andrew Fowlds

Photo © Graham Tucker

Photo © Andrew King

Photo © Andrew Fowlds

THE BOXLEY TREFOIL

Boxley, Nr. Maidstone

JULY 17th 2005 - Wheat

OS Map Ref: - TQ 767583 (Approx.)

Lying just to the south of the village of Boxley, this beautiful formation that we must consider to be amongst Kent's finest, spanned three tramlines and was approximately 180 - 200 feet across. And in keeping with the Kent tradition of landing near motorways, if you were travelling eastbound along the M20 just past junction 6, you'd be sure to catch a three-second glimpse of it.

Whilst it's true to say it wasn't the neatest of formations, it certainly was the proud owner of one of the most interesting lays this side of Wilts! For instance right at the centre of the formation stood an intriguing bunch of standing stems, that were manipulated in such a way as to effectively produce a standing figure with a "crown of thorns"! "The Circlemakers" had somehow twisted the top leaves of the plants into spike-like quills, which were quite sharp and pointed...and I mean sharp! As for the seedheads, they were bent at their base and allowed to droop downwards.

This design certainly wasn't easy to draw. In fact if it weren't for Ian Baillie giving me a bit of a clue I would've probably given up on it. Zef Damens reconstruction on "connector" suggests that almost fifty moves have to be made in order to geometrically arrive at this design. So where do you begin in a cornfield?

Before we had an overhead the ground shot was stretched, which led to the extraordinary effect of producing what can only be described as a monkey's face! But whilst it didn't turn out that way, many have commented that this design almost looks like some sort of face.

The formation rested upon the end of an alignment that runs through the nearby remains of Boxley Abbey. From there it heads for "The Countless Stones", before crossing the River Medway on its way towards Halling Church.

Diagram © Graham Tucker

The Crown of Thorns in the centre of the formation

Photo © William Betts

Photo © Andrew King

Photo © Graham Tucker

Photo © William Betts

THE "EARTH INCLUDED" FORMATION

Lower Bluebell Hill, Nr. Maidstone

AUGUST 12th 2005 - Wheat

This formation was quite a sizeable one, spreading itself over more than five tramlines. Basically it consisted of a centre circle surrounded by five ringed pathways that sliced into four flattened circles. Three other circles appeared alongside the main formation, with one of them featuring a ring of standing crop.

The diagram sets out to illustrate how clear and precise the formation should have been. For disappointingly, a close inspection revealed many inaccuracies...Unbelievably for instance, the rings either shrank or expanded in width as you walked round them! More disturbingly though was where the downed crop broke off at times into the standing walls and created a sort of "squaring-off" effect.

It didn't take too much to work out that the rings were laid first, whilst the circles were added later...(of course, that being the most logical option if you were to plank it!) "The Circlemakers" though on a number of similar occasions, have been known to lay the circles first, and then to join them up to pathways that they always seem to hit spot on! As for the sloppily constructed circles, they had no centrepieces to speak of, and once again the flattened crop often broke into squared-off irregularities along their walls.

The whole thing is an attempt to illustrate the orbital paths of the four inner planets of our solar system as they spin around the Sun. It's based loosely upon a similar design that first appeared on 26th June '95 at Longwood Warren in Hampshire. On that occasion though, Earth was missing but in this new design the Earth's included (as is also the Moon!)

It occupied a field that was partially excavated a few years ago as the surrounding countryside was being carved up in preparation for the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Large sarsen stones were found buried here alongside Bronze Age artefacts. Kent's old "White Horse Stone" sits at the edge of the field overlooking the formation.

Loosely based on this original formation at Longwood Warren, Hampshire in 1995

THE "NOOKIE BEAR" FORMATION

Nurstead, Nr. Meopham

AUGUST 20th 2005 - Wheat

MAP REF: TQ 637684 (Approx.)

Occupying the same field as the first Nurstead formation (July 6th), it was practically double the size of it! Placed quite close together, this was the first time that Kent has received two formations in the same field.

Just like its older sister, the flow of the lay proved quite consistent in that it was all swept in an anti-clockwise direction. Whilst swirling intricacies and centrepieces that we've all come to expect were notably absent, it was fairly neatly laid. However the overall design which is basically a simple geometric exercise on paper, didn't really work out in a field of corn...A close inspection of Andrew King's aerial reveals the inaccuracies! Also compare it to the first formation...

So unfortunately it has to be said it was a little bit on the "iffy" side. I'm sorry, but three foot pathways are always a worry, especially when circles sometimes aren't that cleanly executed.

Oh yes, and why have we called this the "Nookie Bear" formation?...Well just turn the diagram upside down!

Nookie Bear & Earlier formation together in the same field.