Crop Circles

Wiltshire is a county noted world wide for the many crop circles that spring up every summer and the area immediately surrounding Compton Bassett in particular. Although Compton Bassett has never had a circle within it's boundary, it is surrounded by sites of special crop circle interest. Until recently the Silent Circle crop circle information centre was based in The White Horse Inn within the village, although this year it is based in our neighbouring village of Yatesbury. The Wiltshire Crop Circle Study Group are also based in nearby Devizes and both would be happy to help you understand the circles.

The circles attract much curiosity from passing tourists, fanatical interest from devotees and a certain amount of cynicism from the sceptical. But from whichever camp you hail, you cannot deny the artistic beauty of these massive summertime creations.

To the devotee they are a communication system from an as yet unseen or unproven higher being, conveying a message from our ancestors or from an intelligence from an alternative dimension about a spirtuality from which they say we can all benefit at this time. To the sceptical they are the product of drink fueled mischief by local farm hands. To the farmer whose crops are being trampled by sightseers they represent an intrusion and lost profit.

Whatever your own take on them, there are certain facts which cannot be denied:

1. Crop circles exist the world over
2. Since 1980 over 6,000 have been documented
3. They are some incredibly beautiful and complex works of art
4. They are usually mathmatically perfect in their layout and design
5. Their designs are often based on ancient mystical symbology
6. There is much scientific research which offers many reasons why the sceptical should look at them in a different way
7. There is much scientific research which offers many reasons why the believer should look at them in a different way
8. Many derive spiritual benefit from the messages that they believe can be decoded from the patterns and layouts
9. Some are created by the mischievous and fool the willing believer
10. They are all created on someone's land
11. They are all created in a commercial crop
12. To visit them without permission from the landowner is trespass
13. Visiting them, without care for the crop they are in, will impinge on someone's ability to make a living, on their ability to put food on their family's table and ultimately, on your table

Compton Bassett and it's surrounding area is blessed with many of these 'circles' and many come and visit for the entire season just to be near them. Visitors come from all over the world. All are welcome to enjoy this annual spectacle and we, locally, do our best to meet your needs for accomodation and refreshment as well as access to the circles. We ask in return that these become an international symbol of respect. Respect for those who derive some kind of spiritual gratification from them; respect for those who do not share your own belief in them and respect for the person whose land you may wish to walk upon to get to them.