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Get a Map | Visiting The Crop Circles | Important Practicalities | Flying over the Crop Cirlces
Over the years we have helped many visitors plan their trips to the UK to see the circles. This page is full of information to help you make your plans.
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THE PINK BOOK CROP CIRCLE ETIQUETTE: Guidelines for visiting formations The most important thing you will need if you plan to visit any crop circles this summer
This little booklet is packed with practical information and advice about things to think about, and be mindful of, when visiting the crop circles and should be the constant companion to all those visiting the fields. The importance of this little book cannot be overstated. It is an open attempt by the crop circle community to engage with the farmers and to improve awareness of both the countryside and the farmers' concerns about those visiting the fields. The PINK BOOK is funded entirely by donations from the crop circle community and the general public. We really need your support to keep this vital little book in print. Donations can be sent to the address below. Cheques made payable to THE PINK BOOK please. Any amount, no matter how small is welcome. HOW TO GET YOUR COPY You can download a PDF of the pink book for free, which you can then read or print out at home, by clicking on the book cover opposite. Copies of the PINK BOOK will be also be available at tourist sites throughout Wiltshire, but you can also get your copy free by sending a stamped, addressed (A5 sized) envelope to: THE PINK BOOK, 6 Townsend Farm Cottages, Horton, Wiltshire SN10 3NE IMPORTANT: You will need to put a LARGE LETTER stamp on the envelope. If there is no postage, or inadequate postage on your envelope - it will not be sent back to you. We can also supply multiple copies for tour groups in return for a small donation to our printing fund. We suggest a donation of 50p per copy. HELP US SPREAD THE PINK BOOK
We hope to spread this little book as far and as widely as we can. Many researchers carry a few copies with them to give out to people they may meet inside the circles - this is a great idea. They can also be given to any farmers you may meet. Copies can be obtained from the address above. You can also use the banner above on your website to link to this page from your own website. If you have questions regarding the book please email us. |
There can be no substitute for a first-hand visit to the crop circles. Experiencing their enigmatic spaces and spending time in England's beautiful countryside can be a hugely rewarding and sometimes a life changing experience. Each year thousands of people flock to the UK to see the circles for themselves. If you can make the trip you won't be disappointed!
By far the easiest and most convenient way to see the crop circles is to join an organised tour. Most tours meet you from the airport (you can join a tour even if you are already resident in the UK). A tour will usually arrange your accommodation, and have your itinerary all planned. They can also be a great way to meet other people with similar interests. Guides often have great expertise and can be an immediate and accessible fountain of knowledge and experience.
Here are some tours/events we recommend.
  (bookings taken from individual travelers and tour groups) One-day crop circle tour including buffet lunch. Our own annual crop circle conference THE SUMMER CROP CIRCLE LECTURES offers a one-day crop circle coach tour each summer, complete with buffet lunch. The tour is a great opportunity to visit the crop circles as part of a group with experienced researchers as your guides and makes a great introduction to the phenomenon. There will be limited seats on the coach so please book early! Visit two-three crop circles; transport, guides and payments to farmers are included in the price. Transport will be an air-conditioned coach with WC. Also included in the ticket price is a buffet lunch served at Coronation Hall, Alton Barnes. Your guides will be Dan Vidler and another experienced crop circle tour guide. However, why not also consider attending the conference too? Attending a conference can be a great way to get an introduction to the crop circle phenomenon as well as getting in touch with the latest thinking about them. Our conference is often buzzing with circle researchers and authors and presents a great opportunity to immerse yourself fully in the subject. We even offer discounts for larger group bookings - email us for more details.
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| SACRED BRITAIN TOURS (bookings taken from individual travelers) Sacred Britain typically runs two 10-day crop circle tours per year: one in late July and one in mid-August. Their late July tour usually takes in our own annual conference as part of their itinerary! Glenn and Cameron Broughton lead these extensive and intensive tours combining the latest crop circles with many of England's ancient sacred sites. We highly recommend them. Click on the banner below for details of their latest dates and itineraries.
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For experienced travelers, planning a trip to the UK is not particularly difficult. Here are some general pointers.
General Timing: The English crop circle season starts, tentatively, in May though occasionally a formation has been known to arrive as early as April. In these months the formations are few. The major events happen in late July and early August. By far the best time to visit is last weekend in July/first weekend in August.
It has been our experience that visitors do not give themselves enough time. We would suggest that you should allow at least one week in the area. If you also wish to visit, say, London, at least three extra days should be allowed.
Transport: Obvious as it may seem, we must remind you that the crop circles appear in fields in the countryside. There is little public transport and you will need a car to visit the circles and move around generally. There are vehicles for hire at airports on arrival in England or, more economically, from Devizes.
Arriving from Heathrow airport: From the airport get onto the M4 motorway westbound towards Cardiff, Wales. Exit at Junction 15 towards Marlborough. Marlborough is within the crop circle area and is about 20 miles from Devizes.
Arriving from Gatwick: From the airport take the M20 motorway northbound towards London. You will shortly hit the M25 London Orbital which you should take westbound towards Heathrow airport. The M25 will (near Heathrow) connect with the M4. Continue as described above from Heathrow.
Car Rental from Devizes: These are not the only car rental operations in Devizes, but visitors have been using them for years without complaint.
Fussell Wadman: tel: 01380 731970, www.peugeut.co.uk/fussell_wasdman
Wildmans of Devizes: tel: 01380 7216658, www.wildmans4x4.co.uk
The Towns of Marlborough or Devizes make good accommodation bases with easy access to general facilities. However there are many picturesque villages in and around the Pewsey Vale and many have have pretty bed and breakfast accommodations or self-catering cottages for hire. There are also several particularly scenic campsites in the area for those who like to camp. Detailed accommodation information can be obtained through one of the many Tourist Information Centres around the area. Some will be able to provide you with an accommodation booklet for their areas. Please book your accommodation early, Wiltshire is a popular tourist destination during the summer.
Devizes Visitor Centre, Cromwell House, The Market Place, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1JG
Tel: + 44 (0) 1380 734669 | Email: all.tic's@wiltshire.gov.uk | Website: www.visitwiltshire.co.uk | Multimap link
Marlborough Tourist Information Centre, Marlborough library, High Street, Marlborough, SN8 1HD
Tel: +44 (0) 1672 512663 | Multimap link
Avebury Tourist Information Centre, Avebury Chapel Centre, Green Street, Avebury, Wiltshire, SN8 1RE
Tel: +44 (0) 1380 734669 | Multimap link
email tourist information centres
The Visit Kennet website also has lots of good information:
www.visitkennet.co.uk
If you have internet access at your accommodation base you can log onto the internet to look up the latest circles. You can use our website to see the latest pictures, or any of the other circle reporting websites (see our links page). Beware mobile phone access to the internet can be patchy in the UK countryside - and expensive if you are using your mobile phone in a foreign country. Check with your provider for exact details and costs.
If you don't have internet access, The Henge Shop at Avebury has a crop circle map with pins and photographs to indicate the latest discoveries. The Henge Shop is located in Avebury village (between Marlborough & Devizes) - the shop is inside the stone circle! Please don't ring the shop for information - they are exceedingly busy in the summer months - please visit the shop in person. They also sell the latest aerial photographs of the crop circles by Steve Alexander and a selection of crop circle books and merchandise.
Avebury Henge Shop, High Street, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1RF
It's a very good idea to arm yourself with a couple of good maps. If you are new to the UK a general UK road map will be essential. Then you will need a more detailed map for locating the circles themselves. We recommend an Ordinance Survey map - see below for details.
An AA (Automobile Association) or RAC (Royal Automobile Club) UK road maps are both very good general maps for navigating main roads in the UK. Ordinance Survey Landranger or Explorer maps are excellent for navigating small countryside roads searching for crop circles. These maps are available online or from the links below. The AA and RAC maps should be available at airports, petrol stations and bookshops. The Ordinance Survey maps are available from all good book shops or tourist information centres in the UK - or the Henge shop, Avebury (see above).
AA 2010 Road map: Buy map from Amazon.co.uk
Collins 2010 Road map: Buy map from Amazon.co.uk
OS Landranger Map Sheet 173 Swindon & Devizes: Marlborough & Trowbridge.
OS Explorer - Active Map Sheet 157 Marlborough & Savernake Forest: Avebury & Devizes.
Caution: Many shops, businesses and petrol stations have limited opening hours in the UK. Most shops close at 5.30pm each day (sometimes earlier), many do not open on Sundays at all.
Click cover to download the PDF file
Please look through the information below before venturing out to see the crop circles. Please be as considerate as you can when visiting the countryside and the crop circles. Better still please download the PDF file of our Pink Book - Crop Circle Etiquette: A guide for visiting formations. This is essential reading for all those venturing out into the fields. See top of page for more information about the pink book.
Please take time to consider the following when visiting the crop circles:
- Do not enter a field without permission from the farmer. Some farmers allow visitors, some do not. Those that do tend to place an honesty box either at the entrance to the field, or in the circle itself. Please contribute, the customary donation is £2.00 - £3.00 per person (more is always welcome). This helps build and maintain understanding between the crop circle world and the farming community, by helping the farmer recovers his costs for damaged crop. If you are asked to leave a formation by a member of the farming staff do so, quickly and politely.
- Never, ever, smoke cigarettes (or anything else!) in a crop field. They constitute a very dangerous fire hazard.
- Never leave any litter or objects of any kind inside the circles, they may cause a hazard to farming machinery during harvest, or crop spraying, and could be potential danger to wildlife.
- Do not trample down any standing crop when making you way into the fields or around the circles. Always follow the tractor lines, even if this means walking out of the field and in again if you pick the wrong route into the circle! Further damage to crop by visitors irritates the farmers enormously and spoils the aerial views of the circles for those flying over them.
- If you park your car nearby, do not park in farm or field entrances where you may cause a nuisance to farmers. And never leave anything on display in your car that might attract the attention of thieves. Lock everything away securely, better still, take only what you need to carry with you in person.
Physical Fitness: Getting into the crop circles can often involve a lengthly and sustained walk, often on uneven ground - up hill and down dale! So, please consider this carefully if you are not in tip-top heath.
Equipment you will need to bring: You will need a good pair of walking shoes. You may also need to prepared for the British weather! A light waterproof jacket would be useful in case of rain, conversely, if the weather is set hot and fair bring a sun hat and sun lotion, there is no shade in the middle of a crop field! An umbrella for rain protection, or used as a sun shade might be handy.
Camera Equipment: Cameras and video-cameras are a great way to record your crop circle experiences. However, remember you will have to carry your equipment. Bear in mind that you should be able to carry whatever you bring comfortably - don't overload! You never know, you may capture some light phenomena on film whilst out in the circles!
Other Practicalities: It might seem obvious, but there are no public toilets out in the middle of the English countryside, so please plan accordingly. Get to know where the nearest public toilets are, or failing that, find the nearest pub!
Complete your visit to the crop circles by taking a flight over the fields. Crop circles are meant to be seen from the air and the experience is magical.
Whilst there are a several helicopter companies based around Wiltshire and Hampshire, we recommend Fast Helicopters, based at Thruxton Airfield, Andover - about a 30-minute drive from Marlborough or Devizes. Fast Helicopters have flown us for over ten years and have extensive experience flying the crop circles. They will be able to advise you on which circles to see and help you plan your flight. Typically speaking an hour's flight is adequate to see a tour of the best circles - but ask for the latest information when you book.
Please mention us when you book! - www.fasthelicopters.com
Important notes on choosing a flight: Helicopter is by far the best way to fly over the circles. It's quick and comfortable, and great if you want to try your hand at a little aerial photography. Most helicopter companies are licensed and insured to take fare-paying passengers on pleasure flights. However, it's worth checking this if you are not sure, correct insurance and licensing is essential to safe flying. Group together with friends and take up a larger aircraft to make the trip more cost effective.
If you plan to use your photography commercially, i.e. sell your photos or to publish them, you will need to make sure that your pilot has a full commercial license to carry out aerial work. Please make sure you mention this when you make your booking.
Be aware: Many micro-light (ultra-light) centres will offer you a vastly cheaper alternative for flying - especially when compared to the cost of a helicopter flight - and many do take tourists regularly over the crop circles. However, almost all are not properly licensed or insured to take fare-paying passengers or to take photographers who plan to publish or sell their work. This requires a 'commercial license' - a 'private pilots license' is not adequate. Most get around this fact by offering you a 'training flight'. However, you should be aware before deciding to fly this way, that this is not always strictly speaking legal - no matter what you might be told! Please make sure you are fully explore your alternatives and are fully aware of any situation before you decide to fly. Be aware especially about insurance cover in the case of an accident and any implications for your travel and personal insurance.
