The Crop Circles of Wiltshire
Overnight, huge patterns appear in fields of wheat in southern England, flattened with perfect precision.
What was reported
From the late 1970s, farmers in southern England, especially Wiltshire, began finding large circles of flattened crops in their fields, appearing overnight. Over the years they grew into huge, complex patterns, some hundreds of metres across.
Theories ranged from whirlwinds and unusual weather to messages from beyond Earth. Wiltshire, home to Stonehenge and Avebury, became the centre of a whole culture of crop circle watching.
Explanations offered
In 1991, two men from Southampton, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, revealed they had been making circles since the 1970s, using planks, rope and a wire sighting device, and showed reporters how. Teams of artists have since made far more elaborate designs. A small number of enthusiasts still believe some circles can't be explained.
- When
- 1970s onwards
- Where
- Wiltshire, England
- Witnesses
- Farmers, visitors and pilots
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.