Weird Wiltshire - Barge Inn

The Barge Inn

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DEEP in the heart of the Vale of Pewsey
lies a pub that has become a mecca for crop circle enthusists from around the world.

As soon as the summer season dawns in early May, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Americans, Japanese and Europeans arrive at the Barge Inn in Honeystreet, eager to discover the latest on the crop circle phenomena in Wiltshire.

Words such as 'croppie', 'cereologist', 'crop circle connector' and 'crop circle hoaxers' slip off tongues with ease as visitors stare at two huge noticeboards in the pub's Crop Room. The only suggestion that this room could possibly belong in a pub is its large pool table, positioned in the centre. Surrounding it are photos, intricate black and white diagrams, letters, poems and a huge map covered in tiny orange and red stickers, all revealing past and present crop circle sightings.

On the ceiling sprawls a mural featuring Wiltshire's ancient monuments - Stonehenge, Avebury, a white horse and Silbury Hill - woven together with circles, triangles and swirls that have at some point or another been spotted in a corn field nearby.

The mural was painted by a local artist, Vince Palmer, who now lives in America, and took 16 hours to complete. As soon as a crop circle is spotted, an orange sticker is carefully positioned on the map. These sightings are crucial to the many researchers and crop circle internet users who wander in and out of the pub.

Central to all this is researcher Peter Sorenson. Using a small aircraft, Peter spends hours videotaping and photographing designs before analysing them. Computer software allows him to remove any tramlines from the shots so the pure geometry of the mysterious formations in the crop are all that can be seen. In 2002, he plans to email his findings and images to the website Crop Circle Connector - the 'croppies' cybercafe.

Simon Dick, manager of The Barge Inn, said: "Peter is very hard to track down. He's very elusive because you never know when he is going to appear." He added: "While the researchers spend hours analysing the designs, other enthusiasts prefer to try to catch a peek at them in the making. One time, a group of Japanese came to stay for about two months and they were often seen sitting on top of the Downs, as though waiting for the aliens to land. But they never saw anything, just like everyone else."

The transformation of the pub into a 'croppies' paradise took place six years ago when its landlord and landlady, Adrian and June Potts, were approached by a group of crop circle enthusiasts who suggested turning it into a focal point for for cornfield circle fans.

"People have shown an interest in the pub and the circles from all corners of the world," said Simon. "They come in, take a look at the map and then go off and see them for themselves, as long as the farmers give their permission. We generally have a very good relationship with the local farmers who don't mind people examining the designs. It makes for an interesting place because you never know what language you are going to hear next. The crop circles bring them together and many are drawn back here year after year."

He said Canadian people tend to be the really big enthusiasts, closely followed by Japanese visitors and Americans, with people aged 18 to 70 all showing an interest.

Simon added: "Even though the circles have been appearing since the early 1990's, the interest is still there and people keep arriving at the pub."

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