The cuckoo traditionally marks the beginning of spring and right on cue to mark the first day of summer a crop circle has been spotted.
The first to be seen of that seasonal staple it is made up of curious swirls and has been ‘discovered’ in a field of oil seed rape in Wiltshire close to the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
The crop circle lies close to the Iron Age hill fort of Old Sarum where Romans, Normans and Saxons have all since left their mark. To the right of the mound lies the outline of where the first Salisbury cathedral stood
The county is a popular spot for crop circle sightings and this one was found overlooking the historic site of Old Sarum, near Salisbury, near to where a 150ft dragonfly appeared in a field last year.
The bizarre shapes and designs are predominately found in the counties of South West England. However, they tend to pop up in other regions too and last year a 600ft jellyfish appeared in Oxfordshire – becoming the first jellyfish crop circle in the world.
The crop circle season normally begins in April with them increasing in number to a high point in July and August.
Just how these creations come into being is the subject of heated debate with some arguing they are the work of artists, while others feel they are deliberately created to bring in tourism.
The fact that many appear on ancient ‘ley lines’ leads others to believe they carry a mystical meaning.
Ley lines are supposed straight lines connecting three or more prehistoric or ancient sites which are associated by some with lines of energy and other paranormal phenomena.
However they’re formed though, tourists keep flocking to the circles every year to get a glimpse of the giant patterns.
OLD SARUM
Old Sarum was a mighty Iron Age hill fort which became the site of the first Salisbury cathedral. Chosen because of its strategic importance it was where two trade routes and the River Avon meet.
The Romans installed a garrison in the river valley below the site which was named Sorviodunum. Under the Anglo Saxons it ranked among the most considerable towns of the West Kingdom before the Normans arrived and built a castle there in 1069. The construction of the cathedral began in 1075 and it was nearly 200 years later that the second cathedral that stands today was built.
Nicholas – Stonehenge and Salisbury Tour Guide
Histouries UK – The Best Tours of Wessex
HisTOURies U.K Tours
Wessex Guided Tours 