Crop circles: Wiltshire has the most formations in England - how many were counted and where were they spotted

Wiltshire has the most crop circles in England, according to new data.

Since 2005, there have been 380 crop circles recorded in the county, according to a study by the founder of the Crop Circle Visitor Centre and Exhibition in Pewsey Vale and BonusFinder.

In Wiltshire, the most recent formation in the county was observed on the 28 May 2023 in Broad Hinton and is described as a six-fold spinner with standing 'arms' within a laid circle and a central unbroken ring of standing stems with a flattened centre.

The south west county makes its mark with over seven times more crop circles than Hampshire - which came in second place with just 51 formations seen in the last 18 years. The village of Chilcomb in Hampshire saw the most recent formation on the 12th of July 2022 with a series of laid circles and rings contained within a narrow outer ring.

In third place is Oxfordshire, with 35 crop circles recorded. The most recent formation was discovered on the 9 August 2020 in Uffington Castle and is described as a wheat formation with concentric, rotating, triangular elements around the central circle and standing ring.

Crop circle enthusiasts attribute the strange formations to ley lines, with some suggesting they are “ancient pathways aiding navigation” while others believe they are “extraterrestrial messages cautioning humanity.”

Crop circles mainly emerge in fields of wheat and barley, which makes the county's extensive countryside and agricultural land the ideal place for the phenomenon to crop up.

There are many theories about crop circle formation which include earth energies, gravitational forces and extra-terrestrial origins.

Many people still think they are the creation of alien visitors from space despite some being discovered to have been man-made.

"There are obviously man-made ones out there," said Monique Klinkenbergh, founder of the crop circle exhibition in Pewsey Vale.

"But, if you listen to eyewitness accounts, the unexplained circles have one thing in common - they were formed in minutes, or seconds, by an invisible source.

"There is definitely a mystery going on, but it's very hard to label the source, whether it is extra-terrestrial, paranormal or just nature."

Ms Klinkenbergh said she believed the reason for Wiltshire's record number was the numerous ancient sites there.

"The county is so famous for those sites of heritage, and I believe the crop circles are attracted to those places," she said.

"What a fantastic record to hold."