New data shows Wiltshire has most crop circles in England

This crop circle was discovered in Broad Hinton, Wiltshire

New data has shown Wiltshire is the county with the most crop circles in England.

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

Crop circle enthusiasts attribute the record to the high number of ley lines - ancient pathways aiding navigation - in the county such as Stonehenge.

But sceptics believe they are man-made.

Crop circles are unexplained designs that appear, usually overnight, often in fields of wheat and corn.

Another crop circle was found near Warminster

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

For years, many people thought they were the creation of alien visitors from space, until it was discovered humans were playing tricks.

"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 eye witness 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 its very hard to label the source, whether it is extra-terrestrial, paranormal or just nature."

This design was found on a barley field in Potterne Hill, near Devizes

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."

The most recent crop circle observations occurred in Winterbourne Bassett and Potterne Hill on 4 June and 7 June.

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