Golden Ball Hill
Wiltshire - England
Vale of Pewsey
May 1, 2005
OBSERVATION OF OILSEED RAPE PLANTS
For several years, Culture-crop.com carefully followed the formations that appeared in oilseed rape in England. Under the effect of the beds, the stems of this crop do not behave in quite the same way as those of wheat or barley. Being thicker, the stems are more difficult to flatten, making the effects of mechanical pressure more visible: bends, fractures and scratches are more frequent and obvious. This did not, however, deter counterfeiters, who persisted for decades until 2024, when no crop circle was seen in oilseed rape in England.
Let's go back to May 2005, at the foot of the famous Golden Ball Hill near Adam's Grave in the Pewey Valley (the epicenter of the crop circle phenomenon), where we spotted a formation with surprising characteristics. On the ground, traces of usual human activities, as described above, were not clearly identifiable. On the contrary, we observed stems with significant curvatures, remaining almost horizontal, and a formation presenting a "carpet of flowers" as if the surface of the crop had simply been lowered by one level.
For several years, Culture-crop.com carefully followed the formations that appeared in oilseed rape in England. Under the effect of the beds, the stems of this crop do not behave in quite the same way as those of wheat or barley. Being thicker, the stems are more difficult to flatten, making the effects of mechanical pressure more visible: bends, fractures and scratches are more frequent and obvious. This did not, however, deter counterfeiters, who persisted for decades until 2024, when no crop circle was seen in oilseed rape in England.
Let's go back to May 2005, at the foot of the famous Golden Ball Hill near Adam's Grave in the Pewey Valley (the epicenter of the crop circle phenomenon), where we spotted a formation with surprising characteristics. On the ground, traces of usual human activities, as described above, were not clearly identifiable. On the contrary, we observed stems with significant curvatures, remaining almost horizontal, and a formation presenting a "carpet of flowers" as if the surface of the crop had simply been lowered by one level.
Images extraites de la photo gallery of William Betts - 1 day after his discovery - The "flower carpet" of Golden Ball Hill - 2005
From that point on, we began archiving and closely monitoring crop circles appearing in oilseed rape, watching for the arrival of another formation of comparable quality.
This occurred in April 2009 at Rutlands Farm, right next to the very popular Avebury site. We had therefore waited four years since the Golden Ball Hill event—four years during which an armada of crop circles came and went in oilseed rape, most of them looking more like battlefields than anything else.
This occurred in April 2009 at Rutlands Farm, right next to the very popular Avebury site. We had therefore waited four years since the Golden Ball Hill event—four years during which an armada of crop circles came and went in oilseed rape, most of them looking more like battlefields than anything else.
Images taken from the photo gallery of William Betts — ten days after discovery — Rutlands Farm “flower carpet”, 2009 — Aerial photo by Lucy Pringle
A SIMPLE QUESTION THAT LEADS TO OTHERS…
Is it possible for a team of hoaxers (using mechanical means on the crop) to bend oilseed rape over large areas—permanently—without leaving traces?
When an oilseed rape stem is subjected to strong mechanical pressure, either:
We were therefore particularly intrigued when, over large areas, we found oilseed rape stems bent almost horizontally. Between 2005 and 2009, this clearly manifested only twice.
The year 2010 in England proved both interesting and instructive. The season was late, and several formations in oilseed rape provided additional data on the crop’s behavior. It must be said that oilseed rape is not widely understood, and its developmental stages are often overlooked. In early May 2010, two crop circles appeared in barely mature oilseed rape: one at Old Sarum and the other near the famous megalithic site of Stonehenge.
These formations allowed us to observe how oilseed rape reacts under different conditions and enriched our understanding of its response to mechanical pressure. Thanks to these observations, we collected valuable data and deepened our research into crop-circle behavior in oilseed rape.
Is it possible for a team of hoaxers (using mechanical means on the crop) to bend oilseed rape over large areas—permanently—without leaving traces?
- If the answer is yes: what is their method, and why then do nearly all such formations present a scene of devastation on the ground? Why don’t hoaxers consistently do everything needed to mislead observers? Why isn’t the work “clean” every time? Is it because only one team is capable of achieving this, and it operates only rarely? (Two formations in four years is very little, given the number of circles that appeared in oilseed rape in England over those years.)
- If the answer is no: how are these curvatures produced, and who—or what—is behind the phenomenon?
When an oilseed rape stem is subjected to strong mechanical pressure, either:
- it bends and then quickly straightens,
- it bends at the base (without fracture),
- or it fractures/breaks.
We were therefore particularly intrigued when, over large areas, we found oilseed rape stems bent almost horizontally. Between 2005 and 2009, this clearly manifested only twice.
The year 2010 in England proved both interesting and instructive. The season was late, and several formations in oilseed rape provided additional data on the crop’s behavior. It must be said that oilseed rape is not widely understood, and its developmental stages are often overlooked. In early May 2010, two crop circles appeared in barely mature oilseed rape: one at Old Sarum and the other near the famous megalithic site of Stonehenge.
These formations allowed us to observe how oilseed rape reacts under different conditions and enriched our understanding of its response to mechanical pressure. Thanks to these observations, we collected valuable data and deepened our research into crop-circle behavior in oilseed rape.
The crop circles of Old Sarum & Stonehenge 2010 - Aerial images by Lucy Pringle ©
They both have the same characteristics:
- clear fractures at the base
- stems covered in scratches
- stems which rose very clearly once the mechanical pressure had passed when they had not been fractured.
Tiges Fracturées du crop circle de Old Sarum - 2010
The stems of the crop circle of Old Sarum 2010 have risen
Fractured stems from the Stonehenge crop circle - 2010
The stems of the 2010 Stonehenge crop circle have risen
These two training courses delighted the curious, but were carried out with boards. We were on site to observe and archive the facts and data.
Then a new crop circle...
Towards the end of May 2010 a formation arrived in another oilseed rape field at Wilton Windmill near a windmill, and this time the crop was approaching the maturity of the two "mysterious" formations of previous years. The day after its discovery an English friend, Robert Hulse, produced a mini report, filming and commenting on the general state of the crop circle as well as the important details.
The Wilton Windmill crop circle 2010 - Image by Lucy Pringle ©
Here is what he observed:
- the stems were fractured or bent at their base
- there are no horizontally curved rods
- the uppers had clear scratches
Below are images taken from Robert Hulse's video in the Wilton Windmill formation in 2010. The video was made the day after the discovery of the crop circle. The flowers on the ground were very damaged in places - Scratches and fractures on the stems were visible throughout the formation.
